


Chest Of Clues And Memories

by MoonalineMariaGia2004



Series: Mitth’ezra’vanto [1]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Abuse, F/F, Family, Love, M/M, Multi, Mystery, Other, Thranto, Zezra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 86,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23442772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonalineMariaGia2004/pseuds/MoonalineMariaGia2004
Summary: AU. Ezra had always felt out-of-place from his parents. It wasn’t until a couple of years later, after being with the Ghost Crew, he finds out why through something his parents had been keeping from him for years; a golden chest.
Relationships: Ezra Bridger & Eli Vanto, Ezra Bridger & Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger & Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger & Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Ezra Bridger/Eli Vanto (motherly), Ezra Bridger/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Ezra Bridger/Thrawn | Mitth’raw’nuruodo (fatherly), Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Series: Mitth’ezra’vanto [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691572
Comments: 61
Kudos: 86





	1. Out-Of-Place

**Author's Note:**

> A/N This story is inspired by another fanfic called Only Son by TfpWolfGirl. That story is SUPER AMAZING and TOTALLY worth reading! It was so good that I keep rereading it, and no matter how many times I read it, it always makes my day better!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_A 2-year old Ezra looked up at his mother with curiosity, his reddish-brown eyes wide and innocent as she held out a pair sapphire blue contact lenses in her hands._

_“Here you go, my dear,” Mira took one out with her finger. “This will only hurt a bit, but don’t worry. I’ll be right here,”_

_“And so will I,” Ezra’s father Ephraim held him gently but firmly to keep him still. “I’ll be right here for you too, Ezra,”_

_Poor Ezra had no idea what his parents meant until his mother placed the lenses on him. He began to cry, the plastic stinging his eyeballs the moment they were placed on. He felt himself being wrapped in an embrace and looked up to see both of his parents hugging him tightly._

_“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” Mira ran her fingers down her son’s cheeks, wiping the tears staining the soft skin. “but these will help you in the future. I promise,”_

_“You must NEVER take them off, no matter the cause,” Ephraim sternly spoke. “It might put you in danger, understood?”_

_Ezra did not, but for the sake of his parents, he nodded and began to yawn, tired after his little fit. Mira smiled and carried him gently to his crib, placing him down gently on the mattress before placing the blanket on him._

_“Goodnight, dear,” she whispered._

_Ezra watched her leave with droopy eyes then he slowly closed them. The moment he did, however, the lenses began to sting again, which caused to cry out loud because of the pain._

_Immediately, Mira ran back and cradled her crying child._

_“Oh, Ezra, what’s the matter?”_

_“Owie,” Ezra pointed to his tearful eyes._

_“Do the lenses hurt?” Mira asked, and the boy nodded, making her sigh. “Oh, I’m sorry, Ezra, but we can’t take it off. I promise that, sooner or later, you’ll be used to your lenses. Besides, you look beautiful with your new sapphire eyes,”_

_“Huh?” Ezra tilted his head, confused._

_Mira smiled and held him in front of a mirror. Ezra’s eyes widened as he saw his sapphire lenses sparkling in the darkness._

_“See? It’s beautiful,”_

_Ezra frowned, disagreeing before he began to fuss. “Owie! Owie!”_

_“Oh, Ezra,” Mira let out a sigh and held him up to face. “You NEED those lenses, so you’ll be out of danger. Just… bare with them, please,”_

_“Mira? What’s going on?” Ephraim soon entered the room, holding a sealed holo-letter in his hand._

_“It’s Ezra,” Mira replied, frustrated. “He says that the lenses hurt,”_

_“It should hurt. They are contact lenses, after all,” Ephraim shook his head and crossed his arms. “He just isn’t used to them. When he is, that’s when he’ll start to appreciate them. Besides, we have holo-mail from THEM,”_

_“Oh, alright,” Mira set Ezra back down on his crib. “Get some rest, Ezra. We’ll be back to check on you soon,”_

_With that, they left the room. Ezra began to cry again, bawling his eyes out as he waved his arms and legs around. An hour passed, and he was still crying, the stinging pain of the lenses worsening as he teared, but it was so unbearable that he couldn’t stop. The second hour passed, and another, but neither of his parents came back to check on him, leaving him to cry the pain out until fell asleep._

_X_

_“Alright, sweetie, come to Mommy,” Mira called out to her son as they sat on the mat._

_“Mama, owie,” Ezra whimpered as he wiped his eyes, hissing at the contact lenses that had been there for nearly two weeks. “Mama, me owie,”_

_“It’s okay, dear,” Mira shrugged off the problem and held out her arms. “Just walk to me, and I’ll catch you if you fall,”_

_Ezra pouted before slowly standing up then he wobbly began to walk. He was halfway across the mat when his lenses started to itch and sting again. Angry and in pain, he proceeded to rub his eyes harder, causing him to lose balance and stumble backwards._

_“Ezra, look out!” Mira warned, but by then, it was too late._

_Ezra had bumped onto a tall shelf and had fallen on his bottom as the shelf began to wobble until a blue chest that had golden linings and a red circle with two brown fangs facing down fell and hit Ezra on the head before landing on the floor beside him._

_“Owie, Mama…” Ezra soon teared, rubbing his eyes hard with a hiss. “Head ‘n eye owies…”_

_“Oh, my poor baby,” Mira picked her son up and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry, baby. It was an accident,”_

_“Mm…” Ezra was still whimpering in pain as his hands were pried from his face then he looked down to see the bright blue chest still on the floor. “Mama, wha dat?”_

_“Hmm?” Mira glanced down and gasped. “Oh my!”_

_She placed Ezra down on the couch and headed over to pick up the chest then she placed it back on the top of the shelf. Ezra tilted his head in confusion as one of his hand continuously rubbed his eye._

_“Mama, wha dat?” he asked._

_“It’s nothing!” Mira quickly picked up the child and proceeded to walk away from the shelf. “Just pretend it never existed, alright, sweetie? It’s a VERY special chest that should NEVER be opened by anyone. Understood?”_

_“Yes, Mama…” Ezra sighed as he looked at the chest one last time before being taken to another room._

_X_

_2 years had passed. Ezra could barely sleep with his lenses on. He couldn’t remove them either with his bare hands since they were too small to grab. Since he could barely sleep, he was always tired, causing him to barely eat and barely run around to play, no matter how much his parents ate with him or tried to play with him. He would always seat down to read, but his sapphire lenses also made it difficult for him to see._

_He wanted his parents to take them off, but they didn’t listen. They usually changed the topic to distract him, and it worked, but soon after, his eyes would hurt, and it would remind him about his lenses._

_Due to his malnutrition, he remained thin and smaller than anyone else near his age. His parents had noticed it, but they couldn’t take the lenses off. No matter how much he begged, they just couldn’t, or else the Empire would find out, and Lothal will pay the price._

_The people around them had taken notice of the lenses, yet they didn’t know that they were lenses. They thought the boy was naturally blue-eyed because of his parents, much to the relief of Mira and Ephraim._

_As for his sapphire blue hair…_

_“NO!” Ezra squirmed on his chair as Ephraim held him down, and Mira held up a bowl of black hair dye. “I don’t wanna!”_

_“Ezra, hold still!” Mira scowled, placing the bowl down on the table before picking up a big paint brush._

_“Can’t we use a black spray paint instead of hair dye?” Ephraim questioned while he tried his best to hold down their struggling son._

_“We could, but I’m afraid it might cause an asthma attack since I don’t have a gas mask small enough for him,” Mira sighed and gently took a handful of her son’s hair._

_“I LOVE MY HAIR!” Ezra yelled out, tears pricking by the sides of his eyes. “I DON’T WANT NEW HAIR!”_

_“We NEED to change your hair color, sweetie,” Ephraim urged, suppressing his frustration. “People think that your hair has been dyed blue for a long time, and they want to see a natural HUMAN hair color,”_

_“But I DON’T WANNA!” Ezra whined._

_Mira shook her head in despair, putting the paint brush down then she took a ponytail and a comb. She combed her son’s blue locks and tied it up into a bun then she quickly grabbed the brush, dipped in the hair dye and painted his hair with black._

_“NO!” Ezra began to cry. “MOMMY, STOP!”_

_“Almost done, sweetie,” Mira reassured him gently as she stroked deeper into the scalp._

_“Just a little more color, and you’ll be good as new, Ezra,” Ephraim wiped his son’s tears. “Trust us, son. This is what’s best for you. Trust us,”_

_Ezra didn’t say a word. He merely shut his eyes tightly, no matter how much his contact lenses stung as he trembled while his mother finished painting._

_“There, done!” Mira smiled and placed the brush down. “Now, let’s leave it to dry,”_

_“Or we can dry it quickly,” Ephraim stood up to take out a small heater._

_“Are you sure, Ephraim?” Mira’s eyebrows furrowed as the heater was activated above the boy. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to dry it with a heater, much less keep the heater so close to Ezra,”_

_“It will be fine, trust me, dear,” Ephraim waved her off before activating the heater and placing it directly above the child._

_The heat radiation made Ezra tremble as he began to feel dizzy. He hyperventilated, the heat getting into his brain while he felt his eyes started to drop. Mira was alarmed when she saw this._

_“Ephraim, that’s too much heat radiation!”_

_“I can’t lower it down any further!” Ephraim noticed the boy’s reaction too and was currently fidgeting with the buttons and levers on the heater. “It’s already in the lowest level!”_

_“The ‘lowest level’?! It’s getting hotter by the minute, and Ezra’s going to faint!”_

_“Mommy… Daddy…” Ezra managed to say before his eyes completely closed, and he fell forward._

_“EZRA!”_

_X_

_Ezra woke up with his vision blurry and his head spinning. His body was trembling as he sat up from what-he-can-assume-was his bed while he held his aching head and whimpered in pain. He then looked around before his eyes widened when he realized that he was alone._

_“M-Mommy…? D-Daddy…?”_

_No response came. Not even a whisper._

_Ezra sighed and got off his bed. He went to the door, but as he did, he got a glance of himself on his bedroom mirror. He came to a stop and went closer to look at his new appearance._

_His once reddish-brown eyes were still sapphire blue because of the irritating, painful and blurry contact lenses he was forced to keep on. His body was thin while his height was short, as if he was still 2 years old. His once sapphire blue hair, on the other hand, had mixed with the black hair dye, turning it midnight blue._

_Ezra began to cry, falling to his knees as he placed his hands on his face. His tears rolled down and stained his cheeks, but he didn’t care as he curled up into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest._

_“Ezra…?” the sound of footsteps soon got his attention, and he looked up to see Mira and Ephraim enter. “Oh, our baby, what’s wrong?”_

_Ezra didn’t respond. Instead, he cried even louder before he ran to his bed and landed face-first onto his pillows. He didn’t bother when his tears stained his bed, nor did he care when he felt his parents sit beside him and stroke his back._

_“Ezra, what’s the matter?” Mira asked softly._

_Ezra looked up at her with tears. “You… You no love me,”_

_“What? No, no, no, dear!” Mira cradled her little 4-year old into her arms. “What ever made you think that?”_

_“You change my eyes an’ my hair,” Ezra sniffled, squirming in his mother’s embrace as if she was a stranger._

_“Oh, Ezra,” Ephraim stroked his son’s new hair and kissed his forehead. “We love you with all our hearts. We just… well, we needed to change your appearance to make you look… well, normal,”_

_“Me not normal?” The news didn’t made Ezra feel any better. In fact, it seemed to make him think worse about himself._

_“Ephraim!” Mira elbowed her husband on the stomach with a scowl before turning back to their child. “No, Ezra, that’s… that’s not what we meant. You see, when you were born, you were… uh, different. Really… really different. Lothal might be open to anyone and everyone, but… when compared to us, they seem to comment that… well, you know…”_

_Ezra tilted his head. No, he did NOT know, and he still did NOT get why they had to change him to look like… them._

_“Ezra, you seemed like a strange mess compared to us,” Ephraim spoke with a shrug. “They thought you kept dying your hair blue, and that your eyes weren’t normal since both me and your mother are naturally blue-eyed, even if your aunt, uncle and cousins from your mother’s side are mostly brown-eyed,”_

_“We just… want you as normal as we are in the eyes of everyone,” Mira concluded before leaning in to kiss her son’s cheek._

_“I… Okay…” Ezra looked down and away from them. He wanted to believe them, but there was this… ringing… a sort-of music that was making him doubt their words, but they were his parents, after all._

_They would never keep secrets from him, would they?_


	2. Empire Day Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Okay, the first chapter seemed a little too much for our young and precious blueberry, but it was needed. Now, on with the show. Hope you enjoy it! XD

Years had passed. Mira and Ephraim had been arrested for speaking against the Empire, leaving their son out in the street.

Ezra was startled and frightened during the arrest, the Empire literally tearing down their house as they searched for him. One of the officers in charge had spotted him and commanded the troopers to arrest him too, but he ran off deep into the city and hid in an alley way. He had waited until the shuttle left then he returned to see his house a mess, the place abandoned and almost destroyed.

In fear, he ran. Ran far, far away. Making sure he had a great distance from his old home.

He lived on the streets until he was almost 14, where he found an abandoned comm tower with a great distance from Capital City. He called it his own, dubbing it Fort Ezra, as he began to turn it into a place he could call home, making a make-shift living room, dining room and training area, along with a collection of stolen Imperial helmets. He placed boobytraps all around the place to make sure NO ONE found him, and NO ONE could steal anything he had already stolen.

During his times of loneliness and hunger, he had attempted to remove the sapphire blue lenses from his eyes, but it made things worse and gave him much more pain than it already did. Soon, he gave up on the lenses and tried to wash the black hair dye from his hair, but the hair dye had already dried long ago, so unless he had the right chemicals and tools, he was stuck with midnight blue hair.

It irritated him. His hair and eyes were always leaving him frustrated that he even tried cutting his hair off, but it only made him look uglier than he already thought he was, so he stopped and let his hair grow naturally. Finally, his hair was beginning to show more blue than the years combined, but it was still taking too long for him, yet he knew he had to wait.

One day, he had gotten a distraction from his frustration and rage about his hair and eyes. That day, he met the Ghost Crew, a group of Rebellious bounty hunters. That day, he had also discovered that he was Force-sensitive, a being that could be manipulated to be a Jedi or a Sith.

The leader of the group, Kanan Jarrus, has offered to train him in exchange for his lightsaber. Ezra knew that Kanan was only thinking of a way to make it seem that the deal with give either of them a benefit, but he shrugged it off the moment he got back on their freighter, his mind drifting off into one question…

Was this what his parents meant by ‘different’? Did his appearance gave away his Force-Sensitivity?

For months, that question remained on his head. During his training with Kanan, whenever he was messing with Chopper, whenever he was helping Hera in the cockpit, and whenever he was going on missions.

Of course, those weren’t the only things that concerned him. His hair, for one thing, was a concern. Seeing that her hair was colorfully dyed, Ezra had began questioning Sabine many questions about her hair, without telling her about his problem, and he even managed to slip in his curiosity on how to remove the dye.

Unfortunately, he learned that she uses spray paint to paint her hair, not hair dye, and even if she knew a way to wash out the dye, she clearly stated that she had no idea if the same way would work on hair dye. This disappointed him, but at least he got some advice.

Due to his lenses, however, he was always sleeping late and waking up late. It was bad enough that he couldn’t sleep because of the snores of Zeb, his Lasat roommate. Well, at least he had an excuse to stay up late until his drowsiness got the best of him.

The rest of the crew didn’t question his sleep schedule, assuming that the kid was still getting used to sleeping normally after 8 years in the streets. Ezra was thankful for their assumption, not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention as he searched for more ways to remove the hair dye and the lenses.

Soon came the day he equally despised and loved; Empire Day, a.k.a his day of birth.

His day of birth was one of the only things his parents confessed to him about his well-being. The rest was all a blur, so every year, he was determined to find out more secrets.

This year was no different from the other years. It was his only reason to return to his home; to scavenge what his parents and what the Empire had left behind.

The only problem was leaving the crew for the day to avoid suspicion.

The day had already started terribly. Zeb had woken Ezra up early, a little too early, because they were all going out to Old Jho’s before noon. Ezra was tired, the bags under his eyes growing larger than it already was, but he was able to roll out of bed and head to the dining room to eat breakfast. What made the morning worse was that while he was eating, Kanan had told him that while Hera, Zeb and Sabine waited in Old Jho’s, the two of them would be going out on the field to have a lesson on connection by connecting with the Loth-cats.

At the moment, Ezra was in the Refresher, still attempting to remove his lenses, but he ended up hissing in pain.

“Kriff!” He groaned, swatting his own hand away before pounding his fists on the mirror. “Why?! Just why?! I just want it to stop! Why are they so difficult to remove?!”

He gripped his hair and ran his fingers through his dark-dyed strands. A whimper had escaped his lips, tears beginning to prick his already-stinging eyes. He began to sob, falling to his knees before placing his hands on his face.

‘I need to know… the reason why my parents changed my eyes… and my hair…’

He soon took a few calming breaths, wiping the tears off his eyes before shakily standing up. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time before turning with a huff and leaving the Refresher.

‘The sooner I find the truth… the better…’

X

It was mid-afternoon. Ezra and Kanan has halted their Jedi Training when they spotted a couple of Tie Fighters heading to the city. They ran ahead to Old Jho’s to join their friends just in time to see the Imperial officers enter and search for a Fugitive Rodian.

As they did, Ezra managed to slip a glance at the holo-picture and nearly screamed when he saw a familiar face.

‘Tseebo?!’

Thankfully, he managed to keep a straight yet confused face as he narrowed his eyes.

“Tseebo…?” He muttered.

“Who?” Kanan questioned from behind him, just as confused but a little more curious than him.

“Nothing.” Ezra said quickly, waving off the topic.

As soon as the troopers were gone, and his master had moved closer to talk to the bartender, Old Jho, Ezra looked away and fell into his thoughts.

‘Why was the Empire looking for Tseebo? What did he do? Did he do something wrong? Does he know what happened to my parents?’

And then, a new thought came into his mind.

‘Does he know why my parents were changing me?’

Tseebo was one of the only friends that his parents knew and trusted, yet he was the only one whom his parents trusted with secrets. He knew it ever since he overheard them talking about him when he was younger. He couldn’t hear every specific topic, but he knew it was about him. He FELT it with the Force, even if he didn’t know about the Force before, but he trusted what he felt, and he HATED it.

He hissed, cursing under his breath as he turned his head away.

He NEEDED to find Tseebo before the Empire did. He had a guess to where he might be, but he needed to be somewhere else first…

X

Soon, it was nightfall. All of the citizens of Lothal were gathered for the celebration of Empire Day. While it was Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko who had arranged the ceremony, Minister Tua was hosting it with pride, since the original host, Governer Pryce, had been called in to celebrate with the Emperor.

As the ceremony commenced, the Ghost Crew were blending in with the crowd, ready to ruin Empire Day with subtlety, which was easier than usual since Agent Alexandr Kallus and the troopers were still searching for the Fugitive Yellow Rodian, giving them the freedom to do anything they wanted until the Empire went back to chasing them.

In the middle of the mission, however, Kanan needed to get as close as possible to the new Tie Fighter being presented, so he snuck past the stormtroopers as Zeb and Sabine distracted the crowd and the Imperials with a firework show. He placed one of the explosives on the Tie Fighter, but as he backed up to escape, the stormtrooper guards had caught him.

“What are you doing here?” one trooper scowled. “This is a restricted area!”

‘Damn it.’ Kanan knew he had to improvised, so he looked over at the fireworks and began to act all excited and happy. “Did you see that?! It’s SO beautiful and colorful!”

He sensed that the troopers barely believed his excuse, so he decided to be prepared and reached in for his blaster, but as he did, a familiar voice called out to him.

“What are you doing here, Dad?!”

‘Dad?’ Kanan turned to see Ezra ran up to him, pulling on his arm before turning to the stormtroopers.

“I’m so sorry, officers, but my dad’s just so excited about all this,” the blunette came up with an excuse, urging the man to play along.

Thankfully, Kanan caught up to his idea and decided to keep acting. “Woohoo! Partyyyy! All hail, our glorious Empire!”

The troopers seemed fooled by the acting and simply reprimanded the two before shooing them away. Ezra pretended to drag Kanan away from him until they reached an alley entrance.

“Glad you could join us,” the Jedi spoke as soon as the boy parted from him. “Where you’ve been?”

“Making connections,” Ezra shrugged the topic off. He didn’t want to tell the other about his whereabouts and his little birthday mission. “How’s the plan going?”

“Just watch,” Kanan smirked.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, and the duo turned to see the new Tie Fighter explode, causing Tua, Aresko and the chosen pilot to fly off from the platform and causing everyone to flee in terror. Tua screamed in rage, demanding to know who ruined the celebration as Agent Kallus and the troopers ran over to check the situation.

Zeb and Sabine had soon joined the Jedi and the Padawan, both proud at their work. Kanan seemed proud too while Ezra smirked at the scene with one thing on his mind.

‘This is starting to be a fun birthday bash.’

Soon, they were running, running away from the troopers who were chasing after them. Unfortunately, Hera couldn’t pick them up since they were too deep in the city to be scooped up, so they needed a pick-up arrangement, but first, they needed to hide.

“I know where we could go,” Ezra told them before turning at a corner to lead them.

He wasn’t lying. He just wasn’t telling the whole truth, but at least he had an excuse on going there. He just wasn’t sure if the sliding door would open all the way through, or if Zeb could fit through the small opening if the door didn’t open completely, but at that moment, he didn’t care.

As much as he didn’t want them to pity him, he NEEDED to show them his secret; his mission; the truth behind why he hated this day; the reason why he disappeared earlier that day.

The group reached an abandoned house, with Ezra ignoring Sabine and Kanan’s comments as he took out a key chip and unlocked the door, which, thankfully, slid open completely, big enough for Zeb to fit through.

“Home sweet home,” he muttered under his breath with a groan before motioning the others to follow him inside, closing and locking the door behind them.

Once they were inside, Sabine, Kanan and Zeb looked around. The place was a mess, and was deserted, almost trashed-up with the furniture flipped over while others were either chopped or torn into half. Bits of the ceiling and walls had fallen apart, adding more debris to the cement floor. Despite the mess, however, it was still pretty clear that someone, or some family, had lived there.

“Ezra?” Kanan looked over to see his Padawan heading a round cushion. “Is this…?”

“…my old home?” Ezra finished with a forced chuckle. “How’d you guess?”

“Is there where you’ve been?”

“Maybe, Maybe not,” Ezra sighed and moved the cushion to reveal an underground bunker, where a familiar yellow Rodian sat, whimpering to himself as he hugged himself. “Tseebo? Tseebo!”

The Rodian, Tseebo, looked up at the familiar boy with wide eyes. He quickly got out of the bunker, mumbling words while Ezra was taken back at the appearance of his parents’ old friend. Sabine took notice of the Rodian and gasped.

“Hey, isn’t this the Rodian the Empire was looking for?” she placed her hands on her hips.

“Yeah, it is,” Zeb recalled with a nod.

“A friend of yours?” Kanan asked his Padawan with a raised eyebrow.

“Of my parents,” Ezra sighed before he turned to head to another room.

As soon as he was out of sight, he went on scavenging. Looking all around and about, keeping his ears open as he heard the three try to help Tseebo with that… metal thing on his head. While he scavenged for answers, he overheard their conversation, listening as Sabine stated that Tseebo had the Imperial plans that had been implanted in the metal thing on his head, and that was the reason why Empire were after him.

‘If only they knew what other secrets he had.’ Ezra scowled.

“E-E-Ezra Bridger, son of Mira and Ephraim Bridger,” he felt one of his eye twitch the moment he heard the Rodian expose him more than he should. “Born 15 years, today,”

“Empire Day,” he flinched when he heard Sabine‘s surprised voice. “It’s Ezra’s Birthday,”

“Oh, that’s why the kid disappeared earlier,” he growled at the pity in Zeb’s voice. “I guess that’s understandable,”

‘Ugh.’ Ezra groaned, clenching his fists before hitting the nearest shelf.

All of a sudden, something fell off the top, hitting him in the head.

“Ow.” he hissed, rubbing the spot that was hit before looking down to recognize what had hit him. “N-No way…”

He carefully knelt down and picked up the box then he blew the dust off and gasped when he recognized the blue, gold and red on it.

‘It’s… the chest! The secret chest that my parents were keeping from me!’

He looked over and noticed that the brown fangs by the sides of the red circle were moveable, so he gripped them and flipped them up. There was a sudden click, and the red circle flipped open.

‘Bingo!’

“What was that?” Ezra froze at the sound of his Master’s voice. He almost forgot that they were just on the other room.

“I’ll go check it out,” Zeb’s footsteps followed after his voice, and Ezra turned to see him enter the room. “Uh, what you got there, kid?”

Ezra hesitated, looking unsure as he glanced between the Lasat and the chest in his hands before turning away. “It’s… It’s nothing,”

“Yeah, sure, it is,” Zeb shook his head in disbelief as he made his way to the boy and crouched down beside him. “Come on, Ezra. What is it REALLY?”

“It’s nothing.” Ezra snapped, glaring at the Honor Guard. “Really, Zeb. Just…”

“Kid, you kept the fact that it’s your birthday today,” Zeb chuckled. “I ain’t surprised if that box is another thing you’re keeping from us,”

“Zeb…”

“Look, If you don’t want to tell the others then it’s fine, but whatever it is, I want to know,”

Ezra blinked at him in surprise. “You… You do? But why?”

“Why do you seem so surprised?”

“I mean… well…” Ezra looked away, biting his bottom lip as his face flushed in embarrassment. “…you don’t exactly ACT like you care about me…”

Zeb sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Kid, look, I may act like a jerk to you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about ya. If I didn’t care about you and how secretive you can be when it comes personal stuff, I could’ve let Kanan come in and force you to talk,”

“Pfft, yeah,” Ezra let out a giggle. “you’ve got a point,”

Zeb smiled. He loved it when the kid loosen up from all the tension as if the Empire never existed. He just wished that he acted like it more often than he should.

“So, the box,” the Lasat cleared his throat, returning to their original topic. “Mind if I…?”

“Oh, right,” Ezra slowly nodded and carefully handed over the blue chest to the other. “I… I don’t know what’s inside… my… my parents kept it from me, and I… I never knew why…”

“This…” Zeb looked over at the box. “This is why we came here, isn’t it?“

“N-Not exactly…” Ezra felt nervous, frightened even. He had never told anyone about his secret birthday mission, nor his dislike for his hair and eyes, and now that he was planning to, he was beginning to have second thoughts. What if he judged him for what he was REALLY doing?

“Uh, guys, we have company!” Sabine called out from the other room.

The two jumped to their feet, and Ezra grabbed the box, snapping the red circle down for it to close and for the brown fangs to face up to lock.

“Later then?” Zeb questioned.

Ezra nodded and placed the chest inside his backpack then they ran back to the main room to join the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Okay, this chapter wasn’t exactly spot-on with the episode, but meh. That’s why I left some of the parts out. See ya next update!


	3. Empire Day Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Welcome to the new update! Though, to be honest, I’m getting excited with the chapters after this one! You’ll know why soon~ XD

It was one of the most daring escape of the Ghost Crew. They had to sneak Tseebo out of the Bridgers’ old home, steal a transport ship, make it past the Imperials after them, and get into the Ghost by climbing on the transport ship’s roof without getting caught.

Needless to say, it was quite a challenge, especially with the heavy blue chest inside Ezra’s bag, but he needed it, so he just took in the struggle.

Finally, they had gotten off Lothal and were currently zooming through hyperspace.

Ezra was leaning against the wall in the common room, where Sabine was still trying to help Tseebo with that thing on his head. Zeb and Chopper were playing a holo-game on the common room table, the Lasat trying to keep an eye on the kid.

He knew that the blunette was trying to restrain himself. While they were escaping earlier, he had seen Ezra launch out questions towards the yellow Rodian, demanding to know everything his parents had told him to keep. Thankfully, once they reached hyperspace, Kanan was able to pry Ezra off and cool him down before the boy had the chance to beat-up Tseebo.

Soon, Hera and Kanan had entered the room. At the same time, Sabine had finished helping Tseebo, who suddenly said that they were being tracked with an invention, which he then showed through a holo-image, in hyperspace.

“Well, at least there’s good news,” Kanan pointed out. “The tracker is attached to the Phantom,”

“That’s good news?” Hera raised an eyebrow.

“Isn’t detaching while traveling through hyperspace dangerous?” Sabine questioned.

“Yes, but it’s better than the Empire knowing our next location,” Kanan replied solemnly.

He went on to explain that he and Ezra were being tracked by the Inquisitor through the Force, so they had to get off the ship with the Phantom to redirect the Empire to a false location. Ezra was quietly listening to the plan, partly agreeing to it until they got to the part where Kanan announced the location they were going to.

“Isn’t that the moon where those dark nasty beasts live in?” Sabine’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t think that’s the best place for your Jedi Training, love,” Hera argued.

“Not the best place to escape from Empire either,” Zeb scowled.

“We won’t be there for long,” Kanan reassured them. “Besides, we need to buy you guys time to get Tseebo to a safer place,”

Ezra sighed and nodded before turning to head to the halls. Zeb noticed this and followed behind him. The two ended up in their room, with Ezra settling his backpack down on Zeb’s bunk.

“Kid?”

“Can you… watch over the chest while Kanan and I lead the Inquisitor away?” Ezra looked back at his roommate with pleading eyes.

Zeb nodded and headed over to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I will, kid. Stay safe out there,”

“What makes you think I won’t?” Ezra snickered, turning to him smugly.

“Last time you fought those beasts, you nearly got yourself killed off the Plantom roof,” Zeb reminded with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ezra waved him off and proceeded to leave the room.

“Want me to check if there’s anything suspicious in the box while you’re gone?”

Ezra looked back at the Lasat in surprise but nodded anyway. “Yes, please, Zeb. And maybe question Tseebo about it discreetly. Please,”

“Will do, kid,” Zeb gave a confirming salute.

“Thanks, Zeb,” Ezra smiled and left, feeling thankful that his roommate was there to help him out.

X

It didn’t take long for Kanan’s plan to more difficult that it had been at first glance. It all started with the bumpy escape from hyperspace. It nearly made Ezra hurl up his lunch, but thankfully, he couldn’t get the chance since the contents in his stomach sunk back down when they entered the dark home of the dark, monstrous beasts.

As Ezra predicted, Kanan took advantage of the time to teach him about Force Connections, starting with connecting with the beasts. They settled the Phantom in the middle of the cave and Kanan let Ezra out to connect with their not-so-friendly company while he removed the tracker from the ship. Ezra tried, but his heart and mind was full of fear as they were both being closed in by the creatures.

“Ezra, you need to connect!” Kanan told his Padawan. “You can’t let your fear control you!”

“I’m not afraid of them!” Ezra shouted, his hands trembling with the rest of his body as he slowly backed up to the Phantom.

“Then what are you afraid of?!”

“I…” Ezra felt the lump clog up his throat as tears stung his eyes. “I’m afraid of the truth! I’m afraid of what happened to my parents! I’M AFRAID TO KNOW IF THEY EVER ACCEPTED ME OR NOT! I’M AFRAID TO KNOW ALL OF THEIR SECRETS THEY’RE KEEPING ABOUT ME!”

The Force sensed the fear leave the blunette as he let it all out. Even Kanan was stunned as Ezra had begun to focus on connecting with the beasts, who had stopped advancing and had sat down, tamed and less ferocious than earlier.

By the time the Grand Inquisitor and the stormtroopers arrived, both Jedis had managed to connect with the beings and were now commanding them to attack the Imperials. The Inquisitor wasn’t surprised and merely slashed one of the beasts that attacked him. Kanan got out of the connection and proceeded to fight, both his and the Inquisitor’s lightsabers clashing.

It didn’t take a while for Kanan to be knocked out, making Ezra stand, while remaining connected to the beasts, grab his Master’s lightsaber and wield it as he took a step forward to come between Kanan and the Inquisitor.

“Stay back!” He warned.

The Inquisitor smirked, taunting the boy as he came forward threateningly. Ezra took a step back, trying to seem brave, but he was caught off-guard when the lightsaber was forcefully taken from his hands and into the Pau’an’s.

“No…” Ezra was trembling as he backed up against a huge cliff-like hole.

“You will die.” The Inquisitor spoke. “Your master will die. Everyone that you love will be gone,”

“NO!” Ezra started to lose control of the Force, his rage turning to power as he started to summon the largest among the beasts.

“Ezra… no!” Kanan had regained consciousness and watched in horror as his Padawan summoned the huge creature before passing out.

As soon as the Inquisitor was distracted fighting, the Jedi ran towards the boy and shook him awake.

“K-Kanan…?” Ezra was shivering as the man gently held him up. “W-What happened? I feel so cold,”

“I know, it’s going to be okay,” Kanan reassured him before he tossed the kid over his shoulder.

He broke into a sprint, Force-Grabbing his lightsaber from the ground, where the Inquisitor had dropped it while fighting, then he ran inside the Phantom. He set Ezra down on a seat then he ran to the pilot’s seat and started the engines before flying out of the dark and off of the moon.

Soon, the Phantom had reached hyperspace. Kanan set the ship in auto-pilot then he got up and headed to his Padawan to make sure he was okay.

“I saved us?” Ezra questioned as his Master sat beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You did,” Kanan replied with a nod.

“But… something feels wrong…”

“When you open yourself to the Force like that, and you leave your emotions unguarded, you can lose yourself to the Dark Side,” Kanan explained.

“I… I don’t remember it…”

“It’s probably for the best. For now,” Kanan patted his shoulder. “you should get some rest,”

‘Rest as in sleep?’ Ezra scoffed as the man got up and headed back to the pilot’s seat. ‘Good luck with that…’

X

“Welcome back,” Hera greeted the two with Zeb and Sabine after the Phantom had been reattached.

“It’s good to be back,” Kanan sighed in relief, his eyes softening when Ezra walked past them and headed to the bottom gunner of the Ghost.

“Is he okay?” the Twi’lek asked, her tone switching to mother-mode in seconds.

“He’ll be fine,” the Jedi reassured her, but the tone of his voice didn’t sound reassuring enough. “He just… needs a little alone time,”

“I know something that would help,” Sabine took out a data disk and headed over to the gunner, where Ezra sat down and looked up at the stars. “You okay, kid?”

“Never better,” Ezra muttered.

“I found this in your old house, along with some other stuff,” Sabine hooked up the disk to the gunner’s display, and a holo-image showed of Ezra’s family when he was younger. “Happy Birthday, Ezra Bridger,”

The boy looked up at it and forced a smile until she left. Once he was alone again, he sighed and looked up at the image with a frown.

It wasn’t a bad memory, really. It was actually one of the funnest time. The day of his 6th Birthday. His mother and him had a piggyback ride while his father watched them happily. His parents’ other friend, Mr Sumar, had taken the picture.

But that was about the only thing that was good about it.

Ezra took one good look at his hair and eyes in the picture, along with his parents’ hair and eyes, and it gave him the urge to gag. The realization dawned upon him quicker than he could catch it.

He used to look nothing like his parents.

Their eyes were both sapphire blue while his father’s hair was raven black. His mother’s hair was still a mystery to him since she was always wearing that funny-looking hat, even if he did see her, that one time when he was 3, with short, dark brown locks.

‘That’s why they changed my hair and eyes.’ he gawked in amazement and shock. ‘They… They wanted me to look just like them. That’s why they said that I was “born different”. But then, why wasn’t I born to look like them if I’m their child? Unless I was…’

He froze, another realization dawning upon him as he felt his world stop.

He was… adopted…?

“Ezra?”

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he turned to see Zeb by the gunner’s entrance.

“O-Oh, hey, Zeb,” He let out a smile towards the Lasat.

Zeb returned the expression and went forward, standing by the other’s side to look at the holo-image. “So… those are your secret-keeping parents?”

“Yep, pretty much,” Ezra sighed as he turned off the holo-image.

“You don’t seem too happy to see ‘em, though,”

“It’s not that I hate them. It’s just that… well…” Ezra turned away and crossed his arms.

Zeb got the gesture and nodded. “I got it. Don’t worry, kid. I know secrets aren’t all good, especially if it’s about you,”

“I just… wish my parents were more honest with me, that’s all…”

“They could’ve told you anytime if they wanted to, but by the way you’re showing it, it seems to me that they planned to keep secrets from you forever,”

“Yep, that’s them, alright…” Ezra gave a bitter laugh.

“I got some info from Tseebo about your parents before Hera took him off for safety,” Zeb started to walk off. “I’m sure you would want to know, right? Take it as your birthday present from me,”

“I DEFINITELY want to know. Thanks, Zeb,” Ezra leapt off the chair and followed behind his roommate as they headed to their room unnoticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Still feels off-script, don’t you? Yeah, I’m terrible at making exact copies of the storyline, but at least I managed to squeeze in the important stuff. X3


	4. The Lenses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Guess who’s back with an update? Me! Yay!

“So what did you learn, Zeb?” Ezra asked as soon as they were inside their shared cabin.

“Your parents told Tseebo a lot of stuff about you,” Zeb started, sitting down and picking up the closed-yet-unlocked blue chest from his bunk. “Your favorite stuff, your dislikes, and etc. The one thing that they mainly tell him is that another couple keeps sending them holo-letters through mail, and they keep stuffing it all in this chest, which was suppose to be a gift for you from the other couple, but your parents never told you about them, so they never gave you this,”

“Another couple?” Ezra was taken back by the news, but at the same time, he wasn’t that surprised, still sticking to his theory that he was adopted.

“Yeah, an inter-species couple, from what Tseebo described. One was a human male while the other was a male alien. They were old friends of your parents, and they wanted to be part of your life, but your parents blocked them off when you were only a year old, no matter how many holo-letters they sent to you or your parents,”

“They wanted to be… part of my life? But why? Did you get their names?”

“No, Tseebo couldn’t remember their names,” Zeb sighed. “It’s strange, though. Why would a bunch of strangers want to be part of your life?”

“Strangers to me, but friends of my parents,” Ezra pointed out. “But it’s odd that my parents blocked them out. Did Tseebo say how long have my parents known them?”

“Tseebo said that they’ve known each other since your mother was 18. That’s a longtime, if you ask me,”

“Yeah…” Ezra gritted his teeth. “That IS strange. Tseebo’s only known my parents for 6 years, and they’ve trusted him with almost everything,”

Zeb nodded and opened the chest. “This thing’s got a lot of stuff, including some holo-letters for you and your parents. There are also some gifts in here for you, even if they aren’t labeled with your name, but I figured that if it were for your parents, they’d keep it somewhere else,”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Ezra chuckled before heading beside the Lasat.

As he did, however, he wasn’t able to hold in a yawn, which Zeb noticed and snickered at. He immediately shut the chest, much to the boy’s surprise.

“What?”

“You’ve had rough birthday, kid,” Zeb patted his shoulder. “You should get some rest,”

Ezra frowned, looking down to avoid the other’s gaze. Zeb noticed this, and his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Something wrong?”

“I… I can’t sleep early, no matter how… tired… I am…” Ezra yawned again, stretching this time, but when he rubbed his eyes, he pulled his hand away and hissed in pain. “Ack! Not again!”

“Again?” Zeb placed the blue chest down and gently cupped the blunette’s chin, narrowing his eyes at the other’s not-so-obvious sapphire lenses. “Hmm, you’ve got huge bags under those fake-looking blue eyes of yours…”

“F-Fake…?!” Ezra froze. How did Zeb know? And how long have he known?

“Well, they LOOK fake, really…” Zeb shrugged, biting his bottom lip. “Sorry if that offends you,”

“N-No, no…” Ezra shook his head. “It’s just… how could you tell?”

Zeb looked stunned. Wait, did he just admit that his eyes were fake?

“Kid, are you wearing… lenses?”

“…yes,” Ezra felt his cheeks warm up, fiddling with his fingers.

“For how long?”

“Since I was… 2,”

“Wait,” Zeb’s eyes widened in realization. “have you been WEARING lenses while you sleep?!”

“I… yes,” Ezra couldn’t find the strength to look up at his roommate. “I… I can’t take them off, no matter how hard I tried to pry them off. My parents… they made me wear the lenses…”

‘Your folks are the WORST.’ Zeb growled before pulling the boy closer to take a better look.

Indeed, Ezra was wearing lenses, and they were hurting him too. The Lasat could clearly see the tiredness through the redness around his fake irises.

“Kid, we need those lenses off,” he let out a snarl, pulling away to give the boy some space. “We need to tell Hera,”

“But… she’ll want an explanation if we tell her!” Ezra opposed.

“Well, I do need help getting to know the things inside the chest,” Zeb shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll explain the situation, so she can help us remove those lenses,”

“I… I guess…” Ezra sighed. “I just hope she can remove these things. They’re REALLY irritating…”

“If they were THAT bad, why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I… I didn’t want to admit that I’ve been forced to wear lenses…” Ezra looked down in shame. “I didn’t want to cause any trouble…”

“Kid, you’re a part of this crew,” Zeb ruffled the boy’s hair. “You’re problem is our problem, no matter how messed up it may be. We’re all in this together,”

Ezra gazed back up at the Lasat with a feeling of hope in his heart. “R-Really?”

“Really,” Zeb smiled down at him. “Now come on. Let’s go before Hera scolds at us for not being bed. It’s getting late, anyway,”

“Okay,” Ezra returned the smile then they got up and headed out.

X

“Chopper, make sure nothing else is being used to track us,” Hera ordered her droid.

Chopper let out a few frustrated beeps before heading out, nearly bumping into both Zeb and Ezra, who had just entered the cockpit.

“Hey, Hera,”

“Hey there, you two,” Hera smiled as she swiveled her chair to face them. “Hey, Ezra. You okay now?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ezra nodded, sitting down on the co-pilot’s seat.

“We’re here to tell you something,” Zeb spoke up while he sat on the seat behind Hera’s.

“Go on,” Hera let them speak, a little anxious at the tension that had been brought inside the cockpit.

And so, the long explanation was told, with Ezra entering and exiting it every now and then but not finding the strength to clearly explain the entire situation, so he just let Zeb speak in his own ‘summarized’ version. The Twi’lek listened, nodding at the things she understood as she glanced at Ezra worriedly and saw the tiredness and pain in the eyes that she finally noticed as fake. Soon, Zeb finished, and Hera sighed.

“I… see. Well,” she repositioned herself, sitting up for her posture. “first of all, Ezra, Happy Birthday. I really wish you could’ve told us sooner, but I know that due to the whole ‘Empire Day’ business, it would difficult. Secondly, don’t worry. Your secret mission about getting to the bottom of your parents’ secrets won’t be heard by anyone else but us. I’ll help Zeb check out what else is inside that chest and make sure there’s nothing bad inside to kill us. And third… well, I know it’s dangerous to remove those lenses through bare fingers. I say that we get some more help,”

Ezra’s heart sunk. “M-More help…?”

“Don’t worry, Ezra,” Hera placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I won’t tell them about the mission. I’ll just tell them about the lenses, and how much you need to remove them. How does that sound?”

“I… I guess that sounds better…” Ezra slowly nodded.

“I’ll get Kanan and Sabine to meet us in the common room,” Zeb offered before heading out.

Ezra watched him leave then he sighed, hugging himself. Hera noticed this and gave a small smile, squeezing the shoulder she was still holding.

“This won’t change how we feel about you, Ezra,” she gently said. “You’ll still be our youngest Specter, Ezra Bridger. Nothing could ever change that,”

“Thanks, Hera,” Ezra managed to return the smile, feeling a little better.

“Your welcome,” Hera stood up and held out her hand to him. “Let’s get to the others now, shall we?”

“Okay,” Ezra took her hand to stand then they turned to join the others.

X

“So, why’d you call us out so late, Zeb?” Sabine asked with a yawn. She had just begun to sleep when the Lasat knocked on her door. “What’s so important that you couldn’t wait until morning?”

“It’s VERY important because if it isn’t settled tonight then ONE OF US won’t be able to sleep,” Zeb growled. He was getting just as tired, but he knew that he had signed up for this, so now, he had to bare with it.

“That’s true,” the group turned to see Hera and Ezra walk in. “So it’s better if we do this tonight,”

“What’s going on, Hera?” Kanan asked.

“Ezra needs help removing his lenses,” the Twi’lek flatly replied. “He’s been wearing them and sleeping with them for about… 13 years, and he really needs to have them removed,”

“You’ve been wearing lenses this whole time?” Sabine sounded surprised. “Are you near-sighted, Ezra?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Ezra shook his head. “I can barely even read with them, much less see things clearly. I have NO idea why my parents made me wear them,”

He needed to lie on the last bit since it was already obvious for him on why he needed to wear them, but he needed to beat them to on questioning who made him wear the lenses, so he had to tell a white lie.

“Removing then with bare hands is obviously out-of-the-question,” Hera spoke out, crossing her arms. “I was thinking we can find a way to get them out WITHOUT touching them,”

“And I think I’m starting to catch on to your plan,” Kanan nodded in understanding before holding out his hand and closing his eyes.

Ezra was confused by the movement until he felt his lenses being pried off slowly. It hurt so much, but he knew it was the only way to take it off without touching it, so he tried to stand still with his eyes wide and open to allow his Master to take his lenses off with the Force.

“Slowly, Kanan,” Hera guided the Jedi.

“If I go too slow, it WILL irritate and hurt him more,” Kanan took a deep breath then he gently gripped the lenses and swiftly took them off.

“GAH!” Ezra gasped, shutting his eyes with his hands rubbing them as the lenses flew out.

“I got it!” Zeb grabbed an empty lenses casing and caught the fake sapphire irises inside before they could reach the ground. “Phew, that was close,”

“Why, may I ask, is an empty lenses casing doing in the ship?” Sabine questioned as the Lasat handed them over to her.

“We used to have lenses to change our eye color whenever we had to go undercover,” Hera explained. “I lost the actual lenses years ago, but I still kept the casing, in case we needed them,”

“And it’s a good thing we did keep them,” Kanan sighed in relief, his eyes open and his hand lowered as he sat down.

“Yeah, good thing,” Zeb gave a nod before heading over to put a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. “Hey, you doing okay, kid?”

“Y-Yeah… I… I think so…” The blunette hissed, still having his hands pressed against his eyelids.

Zeb wasn’t convinced. At least, not until the other would look up at him. So, he cupped Ezra’s cheeks and gently yanked him up.

“Ezra, open your eyes,”

His voice were more worried and gentle than demanding, which was something that made the boy feel more comfortable to show himself, but deep inside, he had that inner doubt. Reluctantly, he fluttered his eyelids open, and Zeb gasped, taking a step back the moment his eyes met the kid’s.

“Woah…”

“Wh-What’s wrong?” Ezra’s eyebrows furrowed as the others looked over and let out more gasps. “G-Guys…?”

“Ezra…” Hera was speechless at what she was seeing. “Your eyes…”

“Wh-What about my eyes…?” Ezra bit his bottom lip, worried that there was something wrong now that his real irises were showing, even if he had no idea what were his eyes’ real color.

“They’re… beautiful…” Zeb blinked at the boy with his mouth slightly ajar and a light blush on his cheeks. “So… natural… the color…”

“What… What is the color…?”

“Reddish-brown,” Sabine replied with a smile before holding out a mirror to show him. “Red in the light, brown on the darkness,”

“Zeb’s right, though,” Hera placed her hands on the boy’s shoulders. “They’re beautiful, color and all,”

“It makes me wonder why your parents would even hide them…” Kanan muttered under his breath.

Ezra smiled at them. He had never thought anyone would notice how fake his sapphire ‘eyes’ were and accept his natural eyes. It felt… heartwarming for the acceptance.

Suddenly, a yawn escaped his lips. He gave a stretch then he rubbed his eyes.

“Looks like someone’s finally ready to sleep,” Hera grinned at her youngest crew member.

“Looks like I am… ready…” Ezra yawned once more, stretching, but as he began to walk, his steps beginning to become a slow and clumsy.

“Woah, easy there, kid,” Zeb immediately caught the boy before he could fall over.

“He’s REALLY tired,” Sabine chuckled as they listened to the blunette doze off into quiet snores.

“Those lenses sure caused him trouble. And tiredness,” Kanan pointed out with a smirk.

“I’ll get him to bed,” Zeb changed his carrying position, lifting the blunette bridal style then he turned to leave.

As soon as the Lasat left, Hera and Sabine shared a look.

“Is it just me, or is there something going on between those two?” the Mandalorian snickered.

“Maybe there is a ‘little’ something between them…” Hera smirked.

“What are you two? Love experts?” Kanan rolled his eyes at the girls.

“And what are you? Jealous?” Sabine shot back with a grin, ignoring the dark glare that was sent to her afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I smell Zezra! Lol And a little jealous Kanan too! XD


	5. The Chest Of Clues And Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The mystery shall be unlocked! Well, some of it will be, at least XD

The next few days, Ezra’s been sleeping earlier than before, but he was still sleeping in. Hera, of course, wouldn’t oppose, knowing how tired and how relaxed the boy should be now that his lenses were off.

One day, Ezra had woken up really, really late. It was almost noon when he woke up, making him panic and almost jump out of bed.

“Oh, kriff! It’s late!” he hissed and slid down the ladder. “I skipped breakfast! Ugh, was I that tired?”

“Yeah, pretty much,”

Ezra turned in surprise to see Zeb enter with a plate of space waffles and a glass of blue milk. The boy smiled and sat on the lower bunk.

“Hey, Zeb, good morning,” He grinned cheekily as the other sat beside him and handed him his late breakfast.

Zeb chuckled. “Yeah, good LATE morning, kid,”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Ezra waved him off, taking a bite on one of the space waffles and sipping on the milk. “I keep sleeping in. I can’t help it, though!”

“We know, kid,” Zeb snickered. “You’re just trying to get as much sleep as you lost for the past 13 years,”

“Thanks for the breakfast,” Ezra smiled at his roommate as he finished off the rest of the waffles and milk. “Ugh, I’m stuffed,”

“Good. At least you’ve got enough more energy now,” Zeb turned and pulled out the blue chest from under his bunk. “We can FINALLY get to the bottom of this thing,”

“Can we do it up in my bunk, in case Kanan, Sabine or Chopper walk in the middle of our search?” Ezra questioned, feeling a little insecure.

“Sure, why not?” Zeb nodded and got up, holding the chest in his hands. “Even I don’t trust that scoundrel-of-a-droid with a secret like this,”

Ezra set the plate and glass down on the bunk then he went up to his bunk, with Zeb following behind him. They sat down, the Lasat being careful as he sat on the top bunk before they slowly opened the chest. Ezra’s eyes widened at the contents.

A pile of holo-letters were tossed at one side of it. The other side had a medium-sized maroon box with golden linings while a small, sandy-white sack and a holo-chip on top of it.

Ezra picked up the sack and opened it, gasping at what he found. He reached in and took out two male dolls, one was olive-skinned with dark brown hair while the other was sky blue-skinned with sapphire blue hair. They were well-made, their button eyes cross-stitched along with the rest of their bodies. He gave a little squeeze and felt the stuffings from inside, making the dolls soft and huggable.

“Woah…” he placed them on his lap and grazed the second doll’s blue hair. “These are so cute…”

“They remind you of anything?” Zeb questioned, observing the way the blunette was holding the dolls.

“Kinda…” Ezra narrowed his eyes at the dolls as he now held them up to take a better look at them. “They… They remind me of a couple of people…”

_{FLASHBACK: Ezra POV}_

_“Hey, little one,” the gentle voice of a young male was followed by a blurry image of olive and brown. “Aw, you’re such a wonder, aren’t you?”_

_“He is, indeed,” a deeper voice of another male was followed by another blurry image came, but then it was a pure blue with a hint of red. “Our sweet little *En'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini …”_

_{END OF FLASHBACK}_

“Ezra…? Kid?”

“H-Huh?” Ezra was snapped out of his thoughts to see Zeb looking over at him with worry. “What?”

“Damn, kid, you were totally out of it,” the Lasat sighed in relief, scratching his head with a grunt. “What happened?”

“I think… I think it was a memory from when I was born…” Ezra blinked, a surprised tone in his voice. “But… it was strange. I heard and saw these… people, but I didn’t see or hear my parents,”

“Huh, that is weird,” Zeb glanced down at the dolls the boy had placed on his lap. “Do they look like those dolls?”

“Kinda…? I couldn’t clearly see them,” Ezra shook his head and set the dolls beside him before picking up the holo-chip. “Maybe this thing has more info,”

“Maybe later,” Zeb chuckled. “Both of our data-pads are still charging,”

“Oh, alright,” Ezra placed the chip beside the dolls then he turned to pick up the box. “Let’s open this then,”

“Hera and I looked over at it days ago,” Zeb spoke as the boy opened the box and unwrapped the plastic. “She was shocked to see it since no one outside of Ryloth has ever had anything like that before. It’s called a Kalikori,”

“A… Kalikori, huh?” Ezra lifted the wooden piece of artwork out of the box. “It’s… beautiful. Look at it’s structure, it’s texture, it’s design! I love it so much,”

“An art-lover, are you?” Zeb raised an eyebrow at the other.

“Well, I don’t want to brag…” Ezra cheekily grinned, looking away. “I’ve always loved art. Don’t tell Sabine, but I think her choice of colors are a little… off. The red Phoenix among the wall of green totally hurts my eyes,”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Zeb rolled his eyes with a smirk then he turned to look over at the pile of holo-letters.

Ezra watched him, blinking as his mind began to drift off…

{ _FLASHBACK: Ezra POV}_

_“I have a *Bun'carcir for our little one,” the blurry image of the blue male came back into view as he carried something brown in his hands._

_“Where in galaxies did you even find that?” the voice of the younger male scowled at the older one. “And don’t answer Ryloth. I’ll just assume that you stole that, if you do,”_

_“I EARNED it, *Ch'eo vir,” the blurry blue figure went beside the blurry brown-haired figure. “Do not be alarmed. Yes, it is from Ryloth, but it is far better that I keep it than leave it in the hands of our so-called cadet mates. I was able to earn it from our last… sparring session…”_

_“Well, that makes me feel better,” the blurry brown-haired figure allowed the older male to hand over the blurry brown thing towards me. “Here, our *Ch'itiseb en'tisan'sasi. A present from your father. May it bring you good luck…”_

_{END OF FLASHBACK}_

‘My… father?!’ Ezra gasped as his thoughts returned from the memory. ‘But… But I thought… this doesn’t make sense!’

“Ezra? You okay?”

The boy’s attention was soon diverted back to his roommate, who glanced down at him worriedly again.

“O-Oh, y-yeah…” Ezra looked away immediately with a hiss. “Just…”

“…another memory?” Zeb guessed with a chuckle. “I figured,”

“And because of it, I’m more confused than ever,” Ezra sighed before holding out the blue-skinned male doll. “The guy that has a resemblance to this doll gave me the Kalikori, and the other guy who looks like this other doll,” He held the olive-skinned male doll. “called the blue guy MY FATHER,”

“Alright, it DOES make us more confused than ever,” Zeb bit his bottom lip and nodded in understanding. “How about we read the letters? Maybe we could get answers from them,”

“Good idea,” Ezra looked back at the Lasat with a small smile. “Let’s do it,”

“Here’s the first one,” Zeb handed the boy one of holo-letters. “It’s for your parents,”

“Alright then,” Ezra took the letter and opened it to read. “To our dear friend, Mira—“

He froze, his eyes widening at the last name as if it was an error. He couldn’t BELIEVE what he was reading, and he was barely reading it! It had to be mistake. It needs to be, but was it?

“Mira who?!” Zeb tried to call his younger roommate out of his thoughts, not taking the suspense any longer. “Who is it for?!”

“M-Mira… Wr-Wren…” Ezra managed to speak out, speechless. “My… My mother was Mira Wren…”

That last name. Zeb knew that name anywhere; Sabine’s Clan Name. She had told him stories about Clan Wren, so he knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. His eyes widened while his jaw dropped in shock.

“I… are you sure…?”

“Positive.” Ezra nodded with a gulp. “I… I’ve only heard that my mother’s name was Mira, but I never knew that her last name was…”

“…Wren,” Zeb was just as speechless. “But that would mean…”

“We don’t know that.” Ezra interrupted with a low growl. “I’m… I mean, if I keep seeing another couple in my baby memories instead of my parents then it’s possible that I… may be…”

“…adopted?”

“Yeah…” Ezra let out a sigh. “Do you think it’s true? And do you think that Mira is related to…”

“…Sabine? Maybe,” Zeb groaned in frustration. “Damn, kid. Your past is more complicated than I thought,”

“I know, I know,” Ezra waved him off and went back to the letter. “Let’s just get this over with,”

“To our dear friend, Mira Wren,

I’d like to start by thanking you for everything you’ve done for us. I know that it was difficult when you learned that your husband was infertile. We are grateful that we were able to give you a chance to be a mother, even if it is not with a child of your own, but mine and my husband’s instead.

How is my baby doing? I would love to know. I know that it’s a bit odd, but I still miss my son. My husband and I both miss him dearly. I know it’s too much to ask, but may we still be part of his life? Not that we’re telling you to tell him that he was adopted, but we still want to be there for him.

Please, Mira. Let us be part of our baby boy’s life. We’ll give you anything and everything just to be part of our baby‘s life. We love our baby, and we’re pleading you to give us a chance to have a connection with him, through anything.

Sincerely yours,

Your friend, Mitth’eli’vanto,”

“Mitt… who?” Zeb was confused. “Who the hell is that?”

“Don’t know. Really,” Ezra scratched the back of his head with furrowed eyebrows as he set the letter down. “Didn’t you and Hera read these?”

“Hera did, and is currently searching the name up as we speak,”

“And… did she get any result?”

“Nope, none yet,” Zeb shook his head. “She said that she’d comm us when she gets info, but right now, Fulcrum’s calling her with missions, so…”

“Her help is postponed. I get it,” Ezra nodded, a sigh escaping his lips. “Well, at least this confirms my theory. If her husband was infertile then I couldn’t be their BIOLOGICAL child,”

“Adopted by them then,” Zeb tried to lighten the mood.

“And forced to change my appearance to match them,” Ezra pointed out with a frown.

“Fine, fine, you win,” Zeb sighed and handed him another holo-letter. “This is also for your… adoptive parents,”

“Great,” Ezra rolled his eyes and took the letter. “Next time, give me one that’s for me, not my so-called parents,”

He then opened the holo-letter and proceeded to read;

“To our dearest friend, Mira Wren,

You did not answer our last letter, nor did you send us anything about our son. I do not like your silence treatment. All we ask of you and your husband is to share the child we lent you for his safety, but it does not mean we don’t love him. My husband and I want him, but you know that we cannot because of Imperial Rules against Inter-Species relationships.

What is the name that you had given to our son? How is he doing? Are you taking care of him right? May we get some pictures of his infant days? Did you show him the gifts we had given him months ago? Did he like it? Did you keep the kalikori I had given him when he was born?

I insist that you read and answer this letter. My husband is worried about him, and you know that. As a birth parent, he worries about our child every day and night. He can barely pay attention and seem to be always lost in mind. I am worried for him and our son. Please, PLEASE respond as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours,

Your friend, Mitth’raw’nuruodo,”

“Wow… your biological parents seem to REALLY want you…” Zeb muttered.

“I… They loved me…” Ezra felt himself tearing up as he turned away and set the letter down. “But… why would they give me away if they loved me?”

“They must be in a planet that hates Inter-Species Relationships,” Zeb grumbled.

“There are planets like that?”

“Yeah. They’re planets that are an opposite to Lothal. Lothal’s an Outer Rim planet, so it’s open to every kind of alien and human. Planets, like Coruscant, are… strict when it comes to relationships,”

“Oh.” Ezra gave a slow nod, looking away in silence.

Zeb noticed this and let out a groan. He took another holo-letter from the pile and handed it to the boy, who took the letter without even turning back to his roommate.

“It’s for you,”

Ezra froze and stopped, his eyes widening as he stared down at the letter and back at the Lasat. “How did you know…?”

“Most of the letters are labeled in the front with the words ‘To Mira’. This one isn’t. In fact, it’s not labeled at all. It’s completely blank,”

Ezra didn’t say respond to that. Instead, he opened the letter and read it out loud;

“To our dearest baby boy,

Hi. I am your male mother, Mitth’eli’vanto. I know that you’re wondering why I’m writing this to you when I abandoned you to be in the care of Mira, but trust me when I say that I love you. Your father, Mitth’raw’nuruodo, and I both love you. Please, let us explain why we did it.

Our dearest child, our little bundle of joy, our darling blueberry. The moment you came out, I fell in love with your sparkling eyes and beautiful hair. I wanted to keep you and raise you, like how my mother had raised me. You had no idea how hard it was to give you up. I couldn’t even bare to see a child after I had to give you up.

Believe me, my child, if I had a choice, I would take you to our home, your father’s planet honestly since they value family more than anything, and keep you away from the Empire. But I can’t. I wish I could, but I can’t. Your father would have to disappear with me, and neither of us could leave without hinting suspicion to anyone. Giving you up was our only option, but it was never the easiest option for us, so please, if we can ever get the chance, allow us to be a part of your life.

We won’t be your parents if you don’t want us to be, but all we want to be is to be there for you. No matter what.

From your loving male mother,

Mitth’eli’vanto,”

Ezra didn’t feel the tears rolling down his cheeks until he felt water on his face. He carefully closed the letter and wiped his cheeks dry.

“They… I still don’t understand why Mira would hide this from me,” he softly spoke, ignoring the fact that he had begun to lose calling his adoptive mother by her honorific. “I mean, my real mother… this… guy… he loves me. My real father loves me too. I can FEEL it. They… Their emotions are practically radiating off the letter,”

“Maybe Mira knew something about them that you don’t,” Even Zeb felt confused despite of trying to reassure the boy and himself. “I… I don’t know, kid. Well, we now know that you’re adopted, but I’m unsure how useful that fact will be unless we can get a clue from where the letters came from,”

“Wait… that’s it!” Ezra’s eyes lit up at the idea. “Maybe we CAN find more clues! I know where the Lothal Post Office is!”

“But what about Hera? And the others? They’ll be suspicious if they ever spotted us leaving the ship,”

“Ugh, you’re right,” Ezra scowled and laid back on his bunk, cuddling the dolls to his chest with a groan. “Then Kanan would make us tell where we’re heading,”

“Yeah, and I don’t think that’s what you want right now,” Zeb grinned, placing a hand on the boy’s knee. “But don’t worry, kid. As soon as we can get the free time we need, we’ll get searching for your real parents,”

“Promise?”

“I promise,”

Ezra smiled and hugged the dolls closer to him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling his biological parents’ aura through the dolls and the Force. Their aura gave him an urge of reassurance, making him sigh in relief.

He’d find them. He just knew he would. Nothing would ever stop him. Not even the Empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheunh translation:
> 
> *En'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini - means ‘baby boy’  
> *Ch'eo vir - means ‘my dear’  
> *Bun'carcir - means ‘gift’  
> *Ch'itiseb en'tisan'sasi - means ‘sweet child’


	6. Secret Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeb and Ezra go full-length to search for answers. Hera goes bonkers because of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N O~kay, may I add as a note that I time-skipped the show in this story. In this chapter, it’s Season 2 already, but it mixes with Season 3 (early Season 3, if you may). Grand Inquisitor isn’t dead. Instead, he was called in by the Darth Vader and the Emperor to help with the Death Star. You’ll see Vader and the Inquisitor in here, though. Don’t worry. I would never leave them out :)
> 
> On with the show! (My AU of the show lol)

Months went by faster than Ezra could catch them.

Kanan had been captured, nearly killed in Mustafar. He and the rest of the crew rescued him, blew up the Star Destroyer and were rescued by the rest of the Rebellion. They had met Fulcrum, whom was unmasked as Ashoka Tano, and had reunited her with Captain Rex, a Clone from the Clone Wars.

Unfortunately, the Grand Inquisitor was still out there, hunting Kanan and Ezra down. What’s worse was that the Pau’an’s Master, a Sith Lord called Darth Vader, had showed up and were also hunting them, along with the whole Rebellion.

So many things had happened for the past couple of months. With the balance of Rebellion Missions, supply runs and Imperials chasing them every now and again, neither of the Ghost Crew had time for themselves.

One day, Commander Sato has finally given them the day off. After their mission at Geonosia and after getting Zeb off of that ice moon of Geonosia, they got one day to rest and take some time to themselves.

Hera was in the cockpit with Chopper, making sure that there were no Imperials around and to make sure that they had a clean escape if there was any Imperial Ship coming. Kanan and Sabine had gone out for a supply run earlier that day, but now she was growing worried since she hadn’t heard a word from them since she had dropped them off.

“Do you think they got into trouble?” Hera questioned her droid.

“WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP.” Chopper beeped in reply. “WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP.”

“I know Kanan’s plans may have some setbacks, Chopper, but he knows how to keep himself and Sabine out of trouble,”

“WUP-WUP-WUP WUP WUP, WUP…”

Hera sighed and looked over at her data-pad. “Well, while we wait for any contact with them, let’s see if we can get any information about the Mitth Family from those holo-letters…”

X

“Zeb,”

The Lasat groaned at the voice. He slowly opened his eyes to see Ezra glancing down at him with worry and unsureness, cuddling the dolls to his chest.

Zeb noticed that the kid’s been carrying the dolls around ever since they’ve discovered them. During missions and even at Geonosia, Ezra had them either in his bag, in his pockets or simply in his arms. He had explained to the Lasat that they were his source of strength and confidence, so Zeb just stayed away from the topic to not upset him.

“Kid?” the Honor Guard slowly got up, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Kanan and Sabine are out on a supply run. Hera’s busy in the cockpit,” Ezra took out the chip from his pocket. “Please, Zeb. I know you’re still exhausted from when you crashed on that ice moon, so if you’re still tired, I understand. I can just open this myself and—“

“Woah, woah, there, kid,” Zeb grabbed his shoulders to interrupt the boy. “Look, yes, I’m tired, but I know how important this is to you, so I’ll watch it you. For emotional support,”

Ezra blinked at him in surprise before smiling. “Th-Thanks, Zeb,”

Zeb grinned and took out his data-pad then he let the other sit down beside him as they inserted the holo-chip into the data-pad.

>[There was a sizzle of static until the screen showed bright silver walls glistening in the light, a golden brown ceiling with a small, flat and circular bulb, and a maroon floor with a small, round, black carpet, two, sandy brown couches and a gray metal coffee table in the on the carpet and in middle of the room.

“Ch'eo en'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini, ch'ah cart'ar vah’re watching csei s,” a voice spoke as a familiar brown-haired young man came into the camera’s view.]<

“Uh, what did he say?” Zeb scratched his head at the language.

“He said… ‘My baby boy, I hope you’re watching this’…” Ezra replied, surprised that he had understood the language he never knew, but it felt like he had heard it before.

“You… can understand him?”

“Y-Yeah… Surprisingly…”

“Can you… translate everything he might say?”

“I… I guess…”

>[“Hah’s ch'ah, your ver ticsen'i, Mitth’eli’vanto,” the man went on, a tearful and worried look on his face as he had a strange accent that Ezra couldn’t help but think familiar on. “Rah vah’re watching csei s cseo vah ch'urci csah gotten ch'itt'suvrecah from your adoptive hat'icsi.” ]<

“>It’s me, your male mother, Mitth’eli’vanto. If you’re watching this then you must have gotten away from your adoptive parents.<“ Ezra translated before stopping to think. ‘Wait, why would he…?’

>[“Ch'ah tan'ri nah could vun'kebah your adoptive hat'icsi, tsaset'ah your adoptive ticsen'i, rab lah’s ch'a taskeboti. Etah ch'acniuh are. Etah tricked nen vim made nen vsabah csei etah accepted vah veah etah’re en'tisan'sasi tur nen, rab nah were ch'itt'siz. Etah wanted ch'at lcatah vah from nen. Nah bazor csah noticed hah from csihn in'a, rab etah were too catahin't vim fooled nen all!”]<

“>I thought we could trust your adoptive parents, especially your adoptive mother, but she’s a traitor. They both are. They tricked us and made us believe that they accepted you as they’re child for us, but we were wrong. They wanted to steal you from us. We should have noticed it from day one, but they were too smart and fooled us all…<“

Ezra gasped at the translation he spoke, realization hitting him harder than stone as he realized why his parents tried to change his appearance.

So he could be THEIR child and THEIR child ALONE.

>[“Ch'ah am coding csei s bat'al ch'at vah, ch'eo en'tisan'sasi, tur ch'ah rsah csei vah rsah csei s bav'hz by vur. Hah carcir your ticsi’s bav'hz, Cheunh. Ttis'ah, ch'eo k'et, ch'ah ran'as vah ch'at cssuzah ch'ah vim your ticsi. Nah csarcican't ch'avsat'cah vah bah ch'itkashn arms vim lots bah ch'acah rah vah cssuzah nen!”]<

“>I am coding this message to you, my child, for I know that you know this language by heart. It is your father’s language, Cheunh. Please, my son, I want you to find me and your father. We will accept you with open arms and lots of love if you find us…<“

>[“Nah ch'acah vah, our en'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini. Non vim forever. Nah cart'ar ch'at veb vah can tasrun'i. Rah vah’re ran'cuzo vez.”]<

“>We love you, our baby boy. Now and forever. We hope to see you in person. If you’re still alive…<“

With that, the screen went into statics before it turned completely black. Zeb blinked at it in surprise then he turned to the boy, who was unaware of the tears rolling down his cheeks as he had his head low, his midnight blue bangs in front of his face.

“Kid…?”

*”Ch'ah… ch'ah ch'acah vah too… ticsen'i…”

“Ezra?” Zeb grabbed him by the shoulders. “Kid, snap out of it,”

Ezra didn’t respond. Instead, he was trembling, his arms and legs falling limp as he didn’t bother to look up at his roommate.

Zeb bit his bottom lip, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. He looked down at the other as he waited for a response or an action of sort. Anything to reassure him that the kid was still emotionally sane. He soon heard a sniffle and sob before Ezra slumped onto him, placing his hands on his chest as he began to uncontrollably tear up. The Lasat sighed and embraced him warmly, stroking his hair to ease him as he felt warm tears on his chest.

“Shh, shh…” he whispered softly to the boy. “It’s okay… calm down…”

“I… I want to meet them…” Ezra was hyperventilating as he spoke. “Zeb…”

“I know, I know,” Zeb pulled away and stared down at his roommate’s reddish-brown eyes. “I know you want to meet them, kid. I want to help you,”

“R-Really? I… I feel like I’ll be asking too much…”

“Nah,” Zeb shook his head and smiled at him. “Ezra, you were there for me when we were on the search for Lira San. You helped me understand that there was hope for the surviving Lasats of Lasan and that there’s another planet out there for us. You’ve saved my life a couple of times already. Being there for you is the least I can do,”

Ezra was surprised at the speech, his cheeks flushing all of a sudden. He knew Zeb had started to care for him ever since that Wild Meilooran Chase Hera had sent them on, but he never knew that he had cared for him that much. It made Ezra’s heart flutter a little.

“Th-Thanks, Zeb,”

“Anytime,”

** A/N *[Ch'ah… ch'ah ch'acah vah too… ticsen'i…] means “I… I love you too… mother…” **

X

“Well, that research is definitely NOT worth it,” Hera snarled, turning off her data-pad and leaning back on her chair.

“WUP WUP-WUP, WUP WUP-WUP?” Chopper beeped in question.

“No results, nothing,” Hera sighed. “I don’t know what else to do, Chopper. I want to help Ezra as discreetly as I can, so he can be comfortable, but I’m starting to think that I’m looking at limited resources here,”

“WUP WUP, WUP-WUP-WUP.” Chopper shook his head.

“What do you mean, Chop? We searched everywhere for the Mitth Family, and we got nothing,”

“WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP-WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP-WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP-WUP-WUP?”

“Hiding information about the Mitth Family? Why would the Empire… unless…” Hera grabbed her data-pad and typed in a contact to call. “Commander Ashoka? This is Captain Hera Syndulla. Do you read me?”

There was a moment of silence before the call was answered.

“Loud and clear, Captain,” Ashoka’s voice rang through the data-pad. “What’s the urgency?”

“I was hoping you can help me out with something, Ashoka,”

“About the Empire?”

“Hopefully and hopefully not,” Hera paused a bit before continuing. “I need help tracking down some people. Two people, to be precise,”

“Their names?”

“One of them is Mitth’eli’vanto,”

“That name is unfamiliar to me, but the last name of ‘Mitth’ is quite familiar. Can you tell me who the other is?”

“The other is Mitth’eli’vanto’s husband; Mitth’raw’nuruodo—“

“Wait. Mitth’raw’nuruodo? Are you POSITIVE that’s his name?”

“…yes? Why? Do you know him?”

“My master did. He was our ally and a friend of my master before he had joined the Imperial Academy and the Empire. He was usually called by his core name, though,”

Hera’s eyebrows furrowed. “What IS his core name?”

“Thrawn.”

X

“Shh, this way,” Zeb led the boy through the halls and to the Phantom’s entrance.

“Are you sure Hera won’t notice if the Phantom’s gone?” Ezra questioned as they entered the shuttle.

“She’ll notice, but by then, we’ll be too far for her to grab,” Zeb shrugged, sitting down on the pilot’s seat. “You’ve got everything?”

“Yep,” Ezra held up a sack full of holo-letters from the chest and also held the dolls before cuddling them. “I even snuck these two out. You know, for my support,”

“Aw, and I thought I was your support…”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “Yes, my EMOTIONAL support. These dolls are my support for confidence,”

“Okay, okay, I was just teasing,” Zeb chuckled as he punched in the coordinates.

Little by little, the Phantom detached from the Ghost. Once it was at a safe distance, the Phantom zoomed into hyperspace, far, far away from the freighter. It was a long, silent trip, with Ezra taking a nap all throughout the trip. Zeb envied him, but he knew he should be awake since he was piloting them. Even if he was sleepy, there was something in him that told him that shouldn’t sleep until he had helped Ezra reunite with his real family.

Soon, the blackness of vast space replaced the blueness of hyperspace, and Zeb found themselves hovering above the lush planet of Lothal.

“Finally,” the Lasat sighed in relief and turned his chair to see Ezra beginning to wake up. “Hey, good news, kid. We’re here,”

“We… We are?” Ezra rubbed his eyes and allowed a yawn to escape his lips.

“Yep,” Zeb gave a nod and led the kid to the front to show him. “There’s Lothal,”

“Good,” Ezra smiled. “Now, let’s get to that post office,”

“Is it near Capital City?”

“No. It’s a little far off the opposite side of Capital City, actually. That’s one of the reasons I could never explore it whenever we come to Lothal,”

“That, and Kanan hovering around you like a nervous wreck,” Zeb let out a chuckle.

“That last one makes me curious,” Ezra made a face. “Do you know why?”

“Erm… no. No, I don’t,” Zeb turned away and grabbed the steering almost immediately. “Let’s just get to that post office,”

Ezra watched him, his face now emotionless, yet his head was exploding with questions and suspicions as they descended to the surface. He knew Zeb wasn’t an open book, but he was too easy to read at times. The Lasat knew why their leader was fussing over him now and again, but why was he hiding the truth from him when there was already so much truth being hidden?

The Phantom landed on a field of short grass. The ramp opened, and the duo stepped out to see a building, a tall, Imperial building with a huge holo-mail logo on top. There were more than a dozen of stormtroopers out in the open, roaming around. Ezra and Zeb ran through the side and went to hide behind a rock near the entrance. They peeked up to see the door being guarded by only two troopers.

“How do we get rid of them?” Ezra asked.

“Knocking them out is too risky,” Zeb cleared out. “We don’t want the whole facility to know that we’re sneaking in,”

“So what do we do?”

“Hmm…” Zeb looked around and spotted an Imperial cadet nearby. “I have an idea, but you’ll have to head inside yourself,”

“By… myself?!” Ezra stared at the Lasat in shock. “Are you crazy?! What if I get caught?!”

“What choice do we have? All I can do is knock that cadet out then you steal his uniform and get in without suspicion. If I go on with you, we’ll both get arrested,”

“Why would—“

“Kid, I’m the only Lasat in this damn Rebellion. Why else would we get arrested?”

Ezra was thinking of a comeback but retreated the idea. “Good point. Fine, I’ll go, but I’ll find a way to get you inside to help me,”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Zeb scoffed before getting up to proceed with his plan.

Ezra sighed and looked down, waiting as he heard a punch, followed by something falling on the ground. Hard. Then came the dragging, causing him to look up to see his Lasat friend advancing towards him with the Imperial cadet.

“Good news,” Zeb snickered as he let go of the unconscious cadet. “This kid and I got into an agreement, and he agreed to let you ‘borrow’ his uniform,”

“Agreement, huh?” Ezra chuckled and rolled his eyes. “More like you simply knocked him out. And the word ‘borrow’ doesn’t reflect me. His uniform? Maybe. His helmet? Nah, I’m totally keeping it,”

“Fair enough,” Zeb grinned. “Just change into the uniform, kid,“

Ezra nodded and immediately went on to put in the disguise. As he did, he realized that he knew who was the knocked-out cadet; the cadet he hated most in the Imperial Academy; Nahzros Oleg.

“Isn’t this an easy vengeance?” he placed the helmet down and took out some rope from his bag.

“Uh, kid?” Zeb stared at his roommate in confusion as the boy tied the cadet to a nearby rock.

“THIS is payback for shooting me back at the Well,” Ezra huffed, tying a tight knot on the rope before turning with a huff.

“You know the cadet?”

“Oleg. A rival of mine when I went undercover at the Imperial Academy. Not really surprised he’d be here,”

“And you said that he SHOT you?”

“Yep,” Ezra nodded. “Right before I left. That’s the reason why it was only Jai and Zare in that walker. It was suppose to be the three of us, but Oleg took my place after shooting me down,”

“Did he, now?” There was a gleam of rage and mischief that flashed in the warrior’s peridot eyes as he let out a toothy smirk. “Go ahead and find where the letters are from. I’ll just be here… busy,”

“Um… okay?” Ezra felt oblivious to the Lasat’s expression, but he merely brushed it off as he placed on the green-tinted white cadet helmet then he went to the entrance.

The troopers noticed him and made him halt. He obliged to motion, stopping in front of them as he gripped tightly to his bag.

“State your business, cadet.” one of the stormtroopers demanded.

“All holo-mail is to be delivered through the holo-mail carrier.” the other spoke.

‘Time to do my Jedi assignment and hope this won’t end badly.’ Ezra internally hissed, a little nervous as he held out his hand towards the troopers. “You will let me in because I have urgent business inside,”

There was a moment of silence as Ezra let the Force flow through his grasp and towards the stormtroopers. He held his breath, maintaining his focus and mentally hoping that his trick worked.

“We will let you in because you have urgent business inside,” one of troopers finally said, sounding lifeless and robotic.

Ezra blinked in surprise, grinning before continuing. “Then both of you will leave to scout another part of this facility,”

“Then we will leave to scout another part of this facility,” the other trooper spoke then they both proceeded to march off, leaving Ezra alone at the entrance.

Once they were far away, the boy sighed in relief and took out his comm.

“Specter 4, this is Specter 6. The entrance is all clear!”

“Really?” A chuckle from the Lasat was heard from the other line. “Were you seriously going to find a way to get me in with you?”

“Yes, now come on! We don’t have all day,”

“Alright, alright, I’ll be there soon,”

True to his words, Zeb appeared from their hiding spot. Ezra smiled at him, but he then noticed that the warrior’s hands were slightly smudged with blood.

“Uh, Zeb, did you get into a fight with a couple of bucket-heads?” He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah,” Zeb grinned darkly. “Well, at least my opponent couldn’t really fight since you tied him up…”

“Whaaaaaat…?” Ezra’s jaw dropped.

“Look, Ezra, that jerk needed to learn a lesson after shooting ya at the academy and after possibly making your life more terrible in that damn place than it already was. And also, I couldn’t help myself, but don’t worry. He’s still alive. I think,”

It took a while, but Ezra finally recovered from his shock with sigh followed by a snicker. “Well, as long as you didn’t leave his as a dead body or any evidence that you nearly knocked the life out of him then it’s alright. Now, come on before those troopers come back,”

“Right,” Zeb nodded then they ran inside the post office.

The inside was like any Imperial facility, but the only difference was that the front desk had lots of cubbies full of holo-letters and packages. The officer in front was too busy with his work and didn’t hear them come in. The duo exchanged nods before advancing towards the desk.

“Excuse me, sir,”

“Hmm?” The Officer looked up and froze the moment he saw the Lasat. “Y-You… You’re…”

Zeb chuckled and took out his bo-rifle to aim it at the officer. Ezra rolled his eyes and opened his visor, taking out his own blaster.

“Easy there, sir, we don’t want any trouble,” the blunette gently spoke to the Imperial. “We just want to ask a few questions, and we’ll be on our way,”

“W-What do you want?” the Officer was trembling, but he didn’t have any weapon with him, so he knew he couldn’t defend himself.

“We want to know where these holo-letters are from,” Ezra took out the sack and showed it to the Officer. “We need you to track down where they were sent from,”

“And don’t try any tricks,” Zeb growled, always alert and ready to pounce.

The Officer nodded with a gulp as he took the sack and observed them. “Th-These holo-letters are a little old. I… I’ll have to track them down th-through our holo-mail history…”

He went to the post office’s holo-history search and typed in the code of one of the holo-letters. As the Officer searched, Ezra narrowed his eyes at each delivery in the holo-mail history list whilst Zeb tapped his claws on the desk impatiently.

“H-Here,” the Officer showed the duo the information. “I-It was mailed to us to mail to the Bridger Residence years ago from a far-off moon post office from a far-off system,”

“Far-off system? Argh…” Ezra cursed under his breath before snatching the sack and placing it in his bag. “Thanks, anyway. Come on, Specter 4,”

“Coming, Specter 6,” Zeb kept his bo-rifle, and turned to follow the boy as they walked out of the post office.

They made their way to the Phantom, and Zeb immediately sat on the pilot’s seat to fly up and out of Lothal’s orbit. Once they were a bit far from the planet, he set the Phantom to autopilot then he headed over to Ezra, who had removed the helmet and was currently sitting down on one of the seats and cuddling the dolls.

“You doing okay, kid?”

“I… I don’t know, Zeb…” Ezra looked down at the dolls and sighed. “I mean… my real parents are far, far away. I want to SEE them and HUG them in my arms. I want to get to KNOW them and HANG OUT with them, but… I know that they’re too far to reach…”

“Kid, nothing is too far for us,” Zeb ruffled the boy’s hair. “We’ve got the coordinates to the moon post office. We can get there in no time,”

“Are you sure, Zeb? What if Hera…”

“She still hasn’t caught us yet. We’ll have plenty of time to head there and come back,”

“Are you… sure?”

“It’s no problem for me,” Zeb grinned. “And it’s only a few hyperspace trips away. Nothing to worry about,”

Ezra glanced up at him and smiled. “Zeb, I… you’re doing so much for me. Can I ask why?”

“Well…” Zeb scratched the back of his head with a sly grin. “let’s just say that I feel like I can’t rest until you’re reunited with your family. I know you wouldn’t if it was me,”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Ezra giggled. “I wouldn’t at all. Thanks, Zeb,”

“No problem, kid,” Zeb smiled back then he stood up and turned to the pilot’s seat. “I’ll just punch in the coordinates, and we’ll be at that moon post office in a jiffy,”

X

“Thank you, Ashoka,” Hera sighed after hearing all the necessary info the Jedi Commander had told her. “I’ll try to warn Ezra, but I’m not sure he’d take it well,”

“I know he won’t,” Ashoka also let out a sigh from the other line. “but I don’t think this is the right time for an investigation like this. It’s too risky and too close to the Empire,”

“Understood. Thank you,” With that, Hera hung up and leaned back on her chair with a groan. “Oh, Chopper, what do I do? What do I tell Ezra?”

“WUP WUP WUP WUP ‘WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP?’ WUP WUP.” Chopper beeped in reply.

“Yeah, ‘how’ is more difficult that ‘what’, but I still don’t know what and how to tell him that we can’t search for his parents. That’s all he’s been wanting…”

“WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP?”

“Kanan and I are different,” Hera shook her head. “Yes, I act like a mother to my crew, but Ezra wants his REAL parents. I know I would like to know what happened to my mother if I ever found out that she was still alive, but is lost in space,”

“WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP?”

“I don’t know how to tell him the news, but I know I should tell him soon,” Hera turned on autopilot and stood up. “Before he goes out on a search without us,”

She left the cockpit and headed straight to halls. She soon found herself in front of Zeb and Ezra’s room and took a deep breath.

“Just… tell him the truth,” Hera proceeded to knock. “Zeb, Ezra, it’s Hera. You in there?”

No response came. Not even a hint of snoring.

Hera felt confusion and worry wash over her at once. She opened the door, and her eyes widened to see the room dark and empty.

“Wait… where are they…?”

She looked around and found the blue-and-golden chest on the floor. She knelt down and opened it, gasping when she realized that some of the contents were missing.

“Where are the holo-letters…?! And… And the sack?! And the holo-chip?!”

She checked the room and didn’t find any of the missing items. She let out a frustrated grunt before leaving the room and heading to the cockpit, sitting on her chair as she tried to think.

“WUP WUP-WUP?” Chopper beeped in question.

“Some of the things in Ezra’s Chest are missing,” Hera hissed, gripping and pulling on her lekku. “and so are Ezra and Zeb!”

“WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP.”

“They couldn’t have gone out to search for Ezra’s parents unless…” Hera’s blood ran cold, but she managed to compose herself and take a deep, calming breath. “Chopper, please check on the Phantom,”

“WUP WUP.” Chopper attached himself to the ship’s systems. “WUP… WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP…”

“What is it?”

“WUP WUP-WUP… WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP…”

“The Phantom was… detached…?!” Hera couldn’t hold in her worry and rage as she clenched her fists tightly then she let out aroar.

“GARAZEB ORRELIOS!”

X

“Oh boy…” Ezra cringed the moment he felt Hera’s anger through the force as the Phantom had been flowing through hyperspace for nearly an hour. “Uh, Zeb?”

“Yeah?”

“I have a feeling Hera’s cursing your full name out. I can feel her through the Force… raging… and I don’t think that’s a good thing,”

“DEFINITELY not a good thing,” Zeb bit his bottom lip. “Welp, I see we have to face the Wrath of the Twi’lek when we get back…”

“Yeah…” Ezra shuddered, knowing how awful their Captain was whenever she was angry or in a bad mood.

Finally, hyperspace had cleared out, and the duo were met with a huge, swampy-looking planet. It had a beige moon floating above it with a huge Imperial building on it’s surface.

“There it is,” Zeb gripped tightly to the steering and slowly lowered the Phantom down to the moon’s surface.

As soon as they parked at a spot that was near the post office but far enough for them not to be spotted. Ezra’s the only one who came out this time, placing his helmet on and taking the sack of holo-letters with him, along with the dolls.

“I’ll comm you if something goes wrong,” he told the Lasat as he handed him his bag to watch over. “I need you to be our getaway pilot,”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Zeb questioned, a little worried when he knew that the boy was emotionally unstable.

“I’ll be fine. Promise,” Ezra reassured him before turning to leave.

Unlike the Lothal Post Office, however, the Imperial Post Office on the strange moon wasn’t heavily guarded. In fact, it seemed to be open to any human and alien around the galaxy. When Ezra went in, he gasped at the crowd inside.

‘No one lives on this moon, so people must use it as a normal post office.’ he thought with a smile. ‘Well, at least it won’t be difficult to get some info. I just need to head to the front desk and ask some questions.’

Much to his relief, the line to the front desk wasn’t as long as the line for holo-mail delivery. What made things better was that a talk to the front desk officer could be a private conversation, so personal stuff couldn’t be heard and gossiped upon. He stood in line, and once it was his turn, he requested a private talk. The officer took him to his office, and they both sat down.

“So, what is it you need?” The front desk officer asked.

“I need to know who gave these holo-letters,” Ezra handed him the sack, and the officer opened it to analyze.

“Hmm… I think I remember who handed holo-letters like these, along with a few packages,” the officer turned on the holo-mail history and quickly browser through.

Ezra waited patiently as the officer scrolled down and down. He went down to the dolls attached to his belt and gave them a squeeze to ease his anxiety, taking a few deep breaths to help calm him down.

“Aha, there it is,” the officer viewed at a certain icon and an image of the young male human from the holo-video appeared. “This young fellow rode here in a ship I’ve never seen before. It doesn’t seem like he’s from Imperial Space either, due to his Wild Space accent,”

‘Mom is from Wild Space?!’ Ezra’s shocked expression was hidden in the cadet helmet as he felt his jaw drop.

“I haven’t seen him in 8 years,” the officer went on. “He started to send holo-letters and packages 14 years ago, but then he suddenly stopped coming, and I never knew why. He was a fun, chatty guy, actually. Wouldn’t stop cheering every time he sent holo-mail. Kept blabbing about writing to his son, his husband and an old friend of his, and how excited he was to find a way to contact his child and his husband through holo-letters without any fuss. Usually, I’d be a homophobic kind of guy, but the way he spoke about his family made me feel happy for him and his husband. It even made me miss him after he stopped coming back. Still do, honestly,”

“Wait, you said that he had a Wild Space accent?” Ezra tried to clarify. “And that his ship isn’t from Imperial Space?”

“Yep, he isn’t from around here,” the officer nodded. “It makes me worried to think if he’s still alive or not,”

“Wait, you don’t know?”

“I wish I could, but his ship was too unrecognizable for me to track. I’m sorry if that’s all the information I can give you about him,”

“How about a name? Any name you got from him?”

“He said that his full name’s a bit complicated, so he just told me his core name; Eli, Eli Vanto,”

‘Eli Vanto…’ The name echoed through Ezra’s head before he gave a bow. “Thank you, kind sir. It might now be enough information, but it’s the most I’ve gotten today. I’ll go now,”

“Update me if you’ve seem him!” the officer called out as Ezra took his leave.

“I will!” Ezra cried out in reply then he turned and left the post office.

His head was overflowing with thoughts as he made his way to the Phantom. He was unconsciously hugging himself, repeating that name in his head as he kept walking.

‘Eli Vanto… Mitth’eli’vanto… Vanto must be his last name and my middle initial then… hmm… but what’s my father’s last name then…?’

He was still deep in his thoughts when he reached the Phantom. Zeb was waiting for him by the ramp and was glad to see him enter.

“Hey, kid,” he said as the boy entered and sat down without even looking at him. “What took you so long? You okay? Was there any trouble? Did you find out anything about your parents?”

“It was a long line,” Ezra replied, still not looking up at the Lasat. “Yes, I’m okay. No, there wasn’t any trouble, and yes, I found something about my parents,”

“What is it then?” Zeb sat beside him.

“My parents… my mom… he… he’s not from Imperial Space…”

Zeb’s eyes widened. “What? Are you saying that… he may be from… the Unknown Regions? Or possibly Wild Space?”

“Most likely from Wild Space,” Ezra clarified, finally glancing up. “The officer said that mom had a Wild Space accent, and that his core name was Eli Vanto. He also said that mom was really happy sending letters to me and father, whom I have a feeling is in Imperial Space, but then mom suddenly stopped sending holo-mail, and… no one knew why,”

“What if he was lying? He is still an Imperial, after all…”

“I can sense it. The officer’s not lying. I can feel his concern and honesty,”

“That is strange then,” Zeb stroked his beard as he began to think. “If your mother was so happy in sending you and father holo-letters then why would he stop?”

“Maybe… it’s because of Mira and Ephraim,” Ezra growled, his eyes shimmering red, even in the dark. “In the holo-chip, mom said that I would be watching the video IF I had escaped from them. But what does that mean? I think Mira sent something to mom that made him think that I was…”

Suddenly, a cold, sickening thought blew against him, making him freeze with wide eyes. “…dead…”

“Why… Why would your adoptive parents made your real parents think that you were dead? It doesn’t make any sense!”

“I… I don’t know…” Ezra felt limp as he leaned his head against the warrior’s chest, slightly shivering. “I… maybe we missed something… I… I want to go back…”

Zeb noticed the uneasiness and tiredness of the boy and nodded. “Alright, kid. We’ll go back to check if we missed something,”

But as he was about to stand up and set course for the Ghost, something began to blink from the console. Ezra immediately stood up and followed as the Lasat headed to the console to check.

“What’s wrong? Did something break?” the blunette asked, worried that they might not get back.

“No, it’s an incoming transmission,” the Honor Guard replied as he looked over at it. “It’s coming from… the Ghost?”

“The Ghost? Uh oh…” Ezra gulped. “We’re in trouble…”

“Can’t be calling because of us, right?” Zeb cackled nervously before answering the call. “Hello? Specter 4 here,”

“GARAZEB ORRELIOS, WHERE IN KRIFFING SPACE ARE YOU WITH EZRA?!” the roar of their Twi’lek Captain made them flinch in shock as they froze.

“Karabast.” Zeb let out a shudder then he pressed on a button to answer. “Well, Specter 2, we, uh… we’re in trouble, aren’t we?”

“YES! NOW GET BACK TO THE GHOST RIGHT THIS INSTANT, OR I SWEAR, ORRELIOS—“

“Alright, alright,” Zeb groaned. “We were planning to go back anyway,”

“Good.” Ezra froze the moment he heard Kanan’s voice. “Oh, and Ezra? You’re getting extra Jedi Training tomorrow for sneaking out of the ship. Zeb, you’re not having any space waffles for the past two weeks. Period.”

“See you two back here,” Sabine’s voice soon rang through. “And yes, you two are DEFINITELY in trouble,”

With that, the call ended. Ezra sighed and sat back down as Zeb cursed under his breath before flying the ship off of the moon and into hyperspace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Aaand, there you have it! Zeb and Ezra are in big trouble now ^^
> 
> Also, I know I should have stuck with Sy Bisti, but the Normal Chiss language is Cheunh, so I just made it like that as the coded language. They’ll fluently speak in Sy Bisti when it comes to the future chapters. Promise. :)


	7. Matters Of Hair And Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Trouble is brewing and secrets are revealing!~ Let’s see how this one goes out X3 Enjoy!

“GARAZEB ORRELIOS AND EZRA BRIDGER!” Hera scowled the moment the Phantom reattached and opened to reveal the duo. “YOU TWO BETTER HAVE AN EXPLANATION ON WHY YOU LEFT THE SHIP WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, OR SO HELP ME, I WILL—“

“Hera, relax.” Kanan placed a hand on the Twi’lek’s shoulder, stopping her at mid-sentence. “Let them explain,”

“Why DID you guys leave without telling Hera where you two were going?” Sabine asked, her hands on her hips. “What was so secretive and important that you didn’t tell EITHER of us where you were heading?”

“We… um…” Zeb stuttered to reply, even if he was used to defending Ezra when it came to these things. “We… We kinda went to Lothal then we headed to a far-off moon and…”

“WHY, though?” Kanan raised an eyebrow. “WHY would you go to Lothal, and WHY would you risk heading off to a far-off moon without back-up?”

“To find my parents.” Ezra stepped forward, finding the confidence he needed as he went in between the Lasat and the Jedi. “My REAL parents.”

The three were stunned at the boy’s announcement. Even Hera was caught off-guard. She had read the letters and had theorized that Ezra had been adopted, but she didn’t know that it had affected the boy deeply. So deeply that it urged him to find his REAL parents.

“Your real parents?” Kanan’s shock was replaced with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Aren’t Ephraim and Mira Bridger your real parents?” Sabine sounded just as confused as Kanan.

“No, they aren’t. Not even close,” Ezra shook his head. “Zeb, Hera and I will explain everything. I promise, but first, let’s move to the common room,”

“Wait,” Kanan turned to their Twi’lek Pilot in surprise. “Hera, you knew something about this?”

“I… I did,” Hera sighed. “Look, we’ll fill you in once we get to the common room. Promise,”

And so, they did. The moment the crew entered the common room and the moment Kanan and Sabine sat down, the trio began explaining, with Ezra starting with his secret birthday mission and what he had found in the his old home, followed by Zeb with what he and Hera had found inside the chest. Ezra soon finished with what he and Zeb had found out at the Lothal Post Office, and what he had found out about his biological male mother in the far-off moon post office.

Sabine‘s jaw dropped in shock while Kanan’s eyes were so wide that they seem like they were going to pop. Hera stared at the boy and the Lasat, surprised about how much info they had gathered during the investigation as the room was filled with tension and silence. Even Chopper was silent, too shocked to even beep a comment or anything.

Zeb worriedly glanced over at Ezra, who had begun to cuddle the dolls in the middle of their explanation. The Honor Guard knew the Padawan would only do that whenever he getting fearful or anxious. He couldn’t blame him. His secret had just been plainly exposed in less than an hour. If it were his secret being exposed, he wouldn’t talk to them for weeks.

Ezra was squeezing the dolls to his chest, looking down at the ground to avoid the others’ eyes. Part of him wanted to walk out, head to his cabin, lock the door and cry on his bunk. Another part of him just told him to break down, right there and then, not caring if the others saw him or even cared to see him. The first part of him won, and he was running for his cabin before he could even stop himself.

“Kid!” Zeb’s voice rang after him, along his heavy footsteps, but Ezra was too quick and had locked the door to their cabin. “Ezra, open up!”

Ezra didn’t respond. He went up to his bunk and laid down, hugging himself as he began to cry. He held the dolls close to his cheek, not minding if his tears stained it’s delicate cloth.

After a couple of minutes, his tears had dried, and he was just lying on his bed and staring at the wall. He slowly held out the dolls and couldn’t help but caress the hair of the blue one with a sigh.

‘Man, I wish I could see my hair like this again…’

He shook his head, shaking away the incoming idea as he began to hug the dolls.

‘No. I… They already know too much of me… I can’t let out anymore… it would worry them too much…’

X

“Now you’ve done it!” Zeb growled at the group.

“Woah, woah!” Sabine put her hands up in defense. “What did we do?!”

“You gave him the nervous silent treatment, for kriff’s sake! He already told ya everything! What else do you guys want?!”

“Calm down, Zeb,” Hera grabbed the Lasat by the shoulders. “Look, I know that the tension and silence were too much for him, but we needed time to let everything sink down,”

“Maybe we should go talk to him,” Kanan suggested.

“WUP WUP-WUP.” Chopper beeped in agreement.

“I like the sound of that,” Sabine stood up and stretched.

Hera nodded and let go of Zeb, who gave a sigh before nodding and leading them to his and Ezra’s shared cabin. He then knocked on the locked door.

“Kid? You in there?”

A small sniffle was heard from the inside in response. Kanan and Hers exchanged worried glances before the Jedi stepped forward and knocked.

“Ezra, it’s us. All of us,” he spoke as gently as he could.

“Can we come in, please?” Hera added.

There a brief moment of silence. Soon, there was a click, and the door slid open to reveal the boy lying down on the top bunk. The crew stepped in, the door shutting behind them, then Zeb went up the ladder to look over at his roommate.

“Kid?” He gently set a hand on his leg.

“Hmm?” Ezra didn’t turn, but he sensed and acknowledged the Lasat’s presence.

“Come down, please. The crew wants to talk,”

Ezra sighed and slowly sat up. “…okay…”

He still cuddled the dolls in his arms as Zeb guided him down. Hera, Kanan and Sabine were already sitting on the lower bunk when the duo came down. Ezra sat in the middle while Zeb leaned against the ladder and glanced down with his arms crossed against his chest.

“Ezra, I’m glad you finally told us,” Kanan began, smiling at his Padawan. “I know it was hard to know that you were adopted, and that your adoptive parents had been lying to you and changing you the whole time you were with them,”

“Changing me was a torture,” Ezra shuddered at the memory.

“I know,” Hera placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Changing you was the gravest thing they’ve ever done. No one should force you to be someone you’re not, or force you to be someone they want you to be. They wanted you as someone that doesn’t exist; the son they could never have because of your adoptive father’s infertility. But that’s not who you are. You are special, Ezra. From inside and out,”

“Thanks for understanding, guys,” Ezra gave a small smile. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner,”

“Trust me, Ezra, if I found out that I was adopted, I’d freak out,” Sabine chuckled.

“And you being adopted doesn’t change the fact that you’re still Ezra Bridger, our youngest Specter,” Hera stroked his bangs to the side with a smile.

“Well, yeah, I… I guess,” Ezra let out a sigh. “I mean, I’m still Ezra, but I’m not sure you guys can call me a Bridger,”

“Ezra Syndulla, then,” Kanan teased, earning a slap from the Twi’lek.

“KANAN JARRUS!” Hera snarled.

“What? You act so overprotective of him… like a mother would…”

“That would make you the father,” Hera grinned.

Kanan flinched before quickly shaking his head. “No. You know that’s not how it goes,”

Ezra felt confused as Hera giggled at the Jedi’s reaction, but he didn’t let that bother him. He felt eyes on him and turned to see Sabine closely eyeing him— well, eyeing his hair, more specially.

“Uh, Sabine? Something wrong?”

“Well, it’s not a big problem, but…” Sabine shrugged and got a strand of his hair. “I have to admit that I’m not much of a hair expert than as I am an art expert, but this hair is NOT natural. It’s dyed,”

“Dyed?” Zeb raised an eyebrow.

“Dyed?” Hera looked at Ezra’s hair with narrowed eyes. “How can you tell?”

“It’s a little bluer than the usual raven black or midnight blue,” Sabine pointed out. “See? It’s not natural,”

“Actually, Sabine,” Ezra let out a nervous chuckle, biting his bottom lip. “yes, my hair is dyed, but it isn’t dyed in the way you think,”

“What DO you think, Sabine?” Kanan questioned.

“I THINK that Ezra’s hair was originally ebony black, and his adoptive parents dyed it fade blue,” Sabine replied.

“Is that what happened, kid?” Zeb turned to the boy.

Ezra shook his head. “Nope. It’s actually the other way around. You see… I’m a natural blunette. My hair is originally sapphire blue,”

“WHAT?!” The crew were taken back, their eyes widening in amazement.

“Yep, my hair is originally blue,” Ezra grinned sheepishly. “My parents dyed it black when I was 4. That’s the reason why I asked you if there was a way to remove hair dye, Sabine. The dried hair dye makes my hair itch,”

“You’ve had that for 11 years now?!” Sabine gasped. “No wonder your hair itches! I only spray paint to dye my hair and make it last for ONE year! Making it last for more than a year can be bad for your hair and make it thin enough for hair fall. And make it itch because of leftover paint blobs,”

“Sabine, do you know a way to wash the dye off?” Kanan demanded.

“I’ve got some chemicals,” Sabine folded her arms. “but I’ve only tested them on spray painted-hair, not hair-dyed,”

“It’s worth a try,” Hera stood up. “Come on. I’ll help you search for the chemicals,”

“Alright then,” Sabine followed her lead, and the two disappeared into the halls.

“Don’t worry, kid,” Zeb sat beside the youngest of the crew. “We’ll get that hair dye off ya,”

“Zeb and I’ll be helping too,” Kanan added with a smile. “Whatever it takes,”

“Thanks, guys,” Ezra pulled the two into a hug. “You guys are the best,”

Zeb and Kanan returned the embrace, each of their grips tightening as they sent each other a silent glare before pulling away from the Padawan, who was too oblivious to feel the space and tension between the two older males as they waited.

X

“Well, it’s official, Sabine,” Hera sighed in exasperation. “You’re room is messier than Zeb and Ezra’s,”

“Hey! I have reasons,” Sabine pouted as they searched for the chemicals through the many, many cans of spray paint and explosives. “I just… need at least 2 or 3 shelves for my paints and ‘miracles’, and this room would be as clean as yours,”

“How do you even find anything in this mess?” Hera watched her step, tip-toeing through the many cans on the floor.

“I use my eyes, Hera. Duh,”

Hera rolled her eyes and looked around before spotting a can on the bed with a picture of a model’s hair. She carefully walked towards it and took the can in her hand to read the label.

“Hmm… ‘Hair, Hair… Clean Away’?”

“There! You found it!” Sabine leaped in front of the Twi’lek and grabbed the Can from her hand. “Perfect! We just need to find the bleach, mix it with water and shampoo then wash Ezra’s hair with it,”

“What’s the spray for, then?”

“To wash away any leftover paint blobs, so the itching stops,” Sabine grabbed a huge bottle from the floor. “Perfect! I found the bleach. Now, let’s get mixing!”

X

“What do you think is taking them so long?” Ezra asked with an impatient groan.

“Maybe it’s difficult to find the chemicals through Sabine’s messy room,” Kanan joked.

“Or maybe they’re still mixing the chemicals,” Zeb chuckled. “Either way, I’m sure they’ll call us soon,”

“I hope so…” Ezra frowned, swinging his legs around, bored.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door, and the trio looked up to see Hera standing in front of them.

“Come on, Ezra. It’s time,” she motioned him to follow her, and he happily obliged, jumping to his feet.

The two walked through the halls and entered the Refresher, where Sabine was ready with a basin full of bubbly water.

“Come on, Ezra,” the Mandalorian called the boy over as she held out a hair brush full of bleach. “A good scrub along with a good wash should remove the hair dye,”

“I hope so,” Ezra sat down and laid his hair back in the tub, shivering when the cold bubbles met his skin. “Brr, it’s cold,”

“Well, yeah,” Sabine shrugged as she began to scrub. “All we have is cold water,”

“And I thought the bleach would warm the water up,” Hera snickered, taking out another bleach-filled brush to help with the scrubbing. “Hang on, Ezra. This’ll take a while,”

“It’s… fine!” Ezra let out a shaky breath, shuddering at the water splashing against the sides of his neck. “Still a little cold, but other than that, it’s… fine! Brr… it really is cold…”

X

“Karabast.” Zeb cursed under his breath as he crossed his arms and tapped his arms with his claws. “Does it take that long to wash hair?”

“Wash AND un-dye hair,” Kanan corrected. “And yes, it does take long. Imagine Sabine dyed your fur pink, and it took you years to realize it. The dye is already dry, so it takes time and good brushing to wash it out,”

“Eh, I guess,” Zeb shrugged, looking away with a growl. “Still, they’re taking so long,”

“Yeah, being patient is hard,” Kanan sighed. “But it’ll be worth the wait. Trust me,”

“Kanan, no offense, but the LAST TIME I trusted you with anything, you didn’t exactly take it well,” Zeb glared at the Jedi.

Kanan blinked at him in surprise. “Woah, wait a minute, I thought we were over that?”

“No, we aren’t.” Zeb huffed. “I could still remember you cursing at me, claiming someone who isn’t yours as if he’s an object.”

“Look, I’m sorry, but it would still make more sense if he—“

“No, Kanan. Apology NOT accepted. You’re doing it all over again, bragging that you two are the same species, so you two are just PERFECT for each other,”

“Well, it’s true—“

“Kanan, we don’t know that,” Zeb turned away from the man. “And it isn’t your decision. It’s Ezra’s, so stop pulling my chances down, when I didn’t do anything to down yours. We both have the same amount of chance, you know,”

“Yeah… I… I know…” Kanan let out another sigh, scratching the back of his neck. “Listen, Zeb, I don’t mean to pull down your chances like that. It’s not that I’m xenophobic. No, I’m not the Empire. I don’t mind Inter-Species couples. It’s just that… well, you and Ezra have gotten so close, and… I… I’m started to lose confidence in myself,”

“Why should you?” Zeb grumbled. “You and Ezra are pretty close. Kriff, if I were to be honest, you have a higher chance than I do,”

“Wait, what happened to—“

“That’s NOW, Kanan. Ezra and I’ve gone closer NOW, but before, you had the highest chances of winning his heart. Even higher than Sabine,”

“Why is that?”

“He feels comfortable with you. He WANTS you. Don’t you remember?”

“Zeb, that was me TEACHING him Jedi stuff,” Kanan clarified. “Now you’re pulling yourself down,”

“That’s just It, Kanan. I’m not Jedi. I’m not special, at all. I’m just… Zeb,”

Kanan looked over at his Lasat friend with a frown. Was he affected that much with his attraction for the boy? He knew that both of them had an attraction for Ezra, but he never knew how much it was breaking Zeb. He almost felt guilty for also liking the blunette. Well, almost.

But before he could say anything, the door slid open, and the two of them turned their heads to see Sabine and Hera with excited smiles on their faces.

“We’re done cleaning his hair up!” The Mandalorian announced.

“And boy, was it harder than wrestling those beasties at the abandoned moon base,” Hera wiped sweat off her forehead.

“And… how is he?” Kanan questioned.

“Yeah, where’s the kid?” Zeb was just curious as he tilted his head.

“Right… here!” Sabine moved aside, and the two males had their jaws dropped the moment Ezra stepped forward.

“Hey, guys,” Ezra grinned, his sapphire blue hair bringing out the red part of his eyes. “So… what do you think?”

“It’s…” Kanan gulped, finding himself suddenly stuttering as his face burnt bright red. “Uh… i-it’s…”

“…beautiful,” Zeb’s blush went right to his ears. “Very… very beautiful…”

“Really?” Ezra felt himself beginning to blush, looking away in embarrassment. “N-No, it’s not THAT amazing… is it?”

“Prior to their faces, your natural hair is dazzling!” Sabine chuckled.

“Dazzling AND calming,” Hera noted with a sigh. “Like the ocean…”

“WUP-WUP WUP-WUP!” Chopper beeped in agreement.

“Aw, thanks, guys,” Ezra smiled. “Really. Thanks,”

“No problem, kid,” Sabine ruffled the boy’s newly-cleaned hair. “Now, why don’t you get us something to eat? I know that you’re good at cooking,”

“N-No, I’m not!” Ezra’s face reddened at the accusation.

“Ezra, we’ve seen you cook,” Hera insisted. “If not cook then at least prepare the ingredients,”

“Okay,” Ezra sighed and left.

Once the blunette was in the kitchen, Hera and Sabine glanced back at the Lasat and the Jedi with smirks.

“Looks like he LITERALLY your breath away, guys,” the Mando laughed.

Kanan and Zeb exchanged worried expressions as Hera joined the other in laughter.

Keeping their feelings from Ezra was going to be harder than they thought…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XD Who doesn’t love romance in the middle of all the tension? And I think you guys know who won Ezra’s heart if you‘be seen the tag ^^


	8. Difficult Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Okay, I’ll be focusing on our precious blueberry’s love life first before we go back to his search for his parents. He needs to make a choice, after all ^^

Two week had flown by fast. The Ghost crew were back to doing missions for Phoenix Squadron and the Rebellion. Fortunately, things were a little slow, giving them a little more free time before a mission.

During the first week, Ezra had noticed something odd going on between Kanan and Zeb. Normally, Kanan was focused on their Jedi Training, but it seemed that he was getting so distracted that Ashoka has to come and help them out. Zeb, on the other hand, hadn’t been taking his usual naps and had been watching his Jedi Training— more specifically him, EVERY DAY.

Ezra had a theory for why the two were acting so strange, but shrugged it off, thinking that it wasn’t possible. At least, he thought it wasn’t possible, but the strange behaviors seem to become a habit. Pretty soon, Rex and Ashoka had to come to their ship almost every day, so Ashoka could help him with Jedi Training.

He wanted to know why they were acting all different, more so than when he had revealed his natural reddish-brown eyes and his sapphire blue hair. He couldn’t ask them since they would never answer honestly, so he waited for a chance to ask the others for any answer. Finally, he got his chance.

It was a slow day. Ashoka was talking to Kanan, who had begun another argument with Rex (No surprise there). Zeb was in his cabin, exercising (when Ezra last saw him, at least), Sabine was in her room, painting, while Hera was in the cockpit, fixing the console with Chopper after their last rough run-in with the Empire.

Ezra was in common room with the dolls again. He was trying to give himself confidence since he was planning to talk to their Twi’lek Captain about his distracted leader and his overprotective roomie. At last, he found his bravery and placed the dolls on his belt then he stood up and entered the cockpit.

“Hey, Hera?”

“Hmm?” The Twi’lek looked up from the under the console to see the boy standing in front of her. “Oh, hey, Ezra. Need anything?”

“Just want to talk to you,” the blunette replied nervously, sitting on the co-pilot’s seat. “It’s about Kanan and Zeb,”

Hera’s emerald eyes widened and flashed in amazement. She pulled herself out and dusted herself off then she sat down on the pilot’s seat and nodded.

“I was wondering when you’d notice,” she chuckled.

“You know what’s going on?” Ezra raised an eyebrow.

“It’s what’s been going on ever since your birthday,” Hera smiled and laid back on her seat. “but I assume that you still have no clue why they’ve been acting like complete idiots?”

“Yeah, I’ve got no idea,” Ezra sighed and folded his arms. “Mind telling me, or at least giving me a clue?”

“Ezra, they’ve both been fussing over you. I’d think that it was already obvious. Well, if you want to know so badly, the only clue I can give you is that they both think that you are most precious and most beautiful creature in all of the Outer Rim,”

Ezra felt a blush appear on his cheeks, spreading all the way to his ears. His eyes were wide as he placed a hand on his mouth, gasping when realization dawned upon him and hitting him harder than an an army of angry Loth-cats.

“Wait… Wait a minute… are you saying that that… they… I mean… you can’t possibly think…”

“I don’t THINK, Ezra,” Hera giggled. “I KNOW,”

“Oh my Force…” Ezra slumped back on his seat, his eyes as wide as saucers. “I… I thought of that theory, b-but I didn’t think it was possible…”

“Maybe you should go talk to them about it,” Hera suggested. “Tell them that you know,”

“But… they’ll be expecting me to choose between them!” Ezra snarled, gripping his hair. “And I don’t think I CAN choose!”

“You can’t choose between Kanan and Zeb?” the two turned to see Sabine enter the cockpit with grin. “Why is that? Too straight?”

“Oh please, Sabine,” Ezra rolled his eyes at his Mando big sister. “I’m as straight as you, and the only thing straight about you is your aim,”

“You’re lesbian?” Hera didn’t hide her curiosity as she stared at the female teen with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, I am,” Sabine flicked her bangs to the side. “Ketsu and I’ve dated before I joined the Rebellion,”

“Oh, I see,” Hera nodded before turning to the blunette. “Ezra, I know it’s a hard decision—“

“It’s not hard, Hera,” Ezra frowned. “It is a DIFFICULT decision. Kanan and Zeb are both my close friends, and I honestly like both of them. I don’t know if I can choose between them,”

“Who do you like better?” Sabine asked.

“I… I don’t know…”

“How about this?” Hera gently held his hand. “You confront them one at a time. Tell them that you need time to think about it,”

“That’s a good idea,” Sabine approved with a grin. “You can also ask them why they fell for you in the first place, so it could help you decide who to choose,”

“Thanks, Hera, Sabine, I think that might work,” Ezra smiled and stood up. “I’ll start with Kanan. Do you know where he is?”

“Last time I checked, he was in the hanger talking to Ashoka and Rex,” Hera answered.

“Talking to Ashoka and ARGUING with Rex,” Sabine playfully corrected.

“Obviously,” Ezra let out a chuckle before he turned to leave.

X

“You’re going with that topic, again?!”

“I’ll ALWAYS go back to that topic, and you know that!”

“For the 100th Time, I DID NOT betray my Jedi!”

“Sure, I will DEFINITELY believe that!”

The clone and the Jedi kept bickering and bickering, not bothering to listen to each other as their yells echoed through the hanger. Ashoka was sitting on a meditative pose at a wall, trying to block the two out as she concentrated on her meditation. It wasn’t working as good as she had thought, and she gave up with a sigh, looking up at the two with an annoyed expression.

“I assume that you two are not finished with your argument?” she questioned, but she was responded with more bickering, making her sigh. “Well, that answers that,”

Someone sliding down from the metal ladder soon caught her attention, and she turned to see Ezra head down to the hanger, his reddish-brown eyes flashing and his sapphire hair bouncing as he landed beside her with a thump.

“Hey, Ashoka,” he greeted. “How’s the battle doing?”

“Neither of them are winning because neither of them are giving up,” Ashoka shook her head with an exasperated sigh and stood up. “Oh, by the way, I need to talk to you,”

“Later, Ashoka. Right now, I need to talk to Kanan,” Ezra turned headed over to the arguing duo. “Kanan! Kanan, I need to talk to you!”

“MY MASTER IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR FELLOW CLONES!” Kanan snarled at the clone, not hearing his Padawan call out to him. “WE TRUSTED THEM, AND THEY BACK-STAB US LIKE KRIFF!”

“Look, I’m sorry for what happened to your master, but YOU CAN’T MAKE ME PAY FOR WHAT THE OTHER CLONES DID TO HER!” Rex roared back, also not realizing that the boy was there.

Bridger sighed and crossed his arms, his eyes unconsciously glowing red in irritation. He took a deep breath and carefully reached out to the man, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Kanan.”

And like that, the Force rippled through their bond, sending a shiver down Jarrus’s spine as he froze. His mouth clamped shut, and he turned his head to see the blunette standing beside him.

“E-Ezra!” Kanan took a step back, his face burning as he tried to avoid the boy’s eyes, which he could see is glowing and shimmering, making his blush deepen to his ears. “I, uh, wh-what are you doing d-down here…?”

‘So he does like me that way…’ Ezra couldn’t hide a grin as Rex finally noticed him and also stopped arguing.

“Oh, hey, kid,” Rex ruffled the blunette’s hair as Ashoka approached them. “Just talking to your Master here about ‘the past’. Don’t really want to talk about it, but no matter what I say, he won’t stop,”

“Not the first time, really,” Ezra laughed before turning to his Master. “Kanan, I need to ask you something,”

“W-What is it?” Kanan gulped, finally making eye contact.

“What do you… like about me?”

‘Kriff, he knows!’ Kanan felt the blood rush to his face, which reddened very, VERY deeply. “Uh… I, um…”

Ashoka and Rex were left stunned by the question, blinking as they glanced at the Jedi and the Padawan repeatedly. Ezra ignored them and waited a response.

“Well…?”

“I…” Kanan took a deep breath, closing his eyes to ease his mind before sighing and opening his eyes to look down at the blunette, who was surprised to see a sparkle of passion in the other’s aquamarine eyes. “Ezra, when I met you, I knew you were special. There was something about you that I couldn’t get out of mind. At first, I was nervous to teach you all the limited information I know about the Force, but you changed all that. You make me worry and happy all at once, and I don’t know what I’d do if you were ever to veer away from me because, Ezra…”

He slowly placed a hand under the boy’s chin, cupping it gently. “…I… I love you. No matter what the Jedi Council said about having relationships before. I… I couldn’t stop myself…”

“I… I know…” Ezra gave a smile, a hint of blush on his face. “But, Kanan, I… I don’t know… I… I need time…”

“I know,” Kanan sighed and retracted his hand back. “I… I expected that answer. I’ll give you time and the chance to talk to Zeb,”

“So… you two have been…?”

“We didn’t want to. Really, we don’t since we’ve been friends ever since we met him and earned his trust, but our feelings for you are too… t-too powerful…”

“Could tell,” Ezra let out a chuckle before swiveling around. “I… I’ll let you know my response when I make up my mind,”

Kanan just gave a nod as his Padawan left. As soon as the boy left, the man turned to the two watching, especially at the older (?) Jedi.

“Ashoka…”

“I am surprised of your confession, Kanan,” Ashoka admitted with a shrug. “but I don’t judge you for it. We all can fall in love in places we never knew we’d fall. I should know. I fell for a certain someone back in the Clone Wars. Up to now, I’m in love with him,”

“Really?” Rex sounded surprised. “Who is he?”

Ashoka blinked at him before laughing softly. “That’s a secret for me to keep and for you to know later on,”

X

“Ninety-four… Ninety-five… Ninety-six…”

“Hey, big guy,” Sabine leaned beside the open door with smirk. “What are you doing?”

“Exercising, that’s what,” Zeb grumbled as he kept doing push-ups. “After this, Ill be training with my bo-rifle then I’ll—“

“And you think you exercising and training will impress Ezra?” the Mandalorian raised an eyebrow at her Lasat big brother.

“If my face and smell won’t impress him then I’m sure my muscles would,” Zeb huffed with a hiss. “A hundred and three… A hundred and four… A hundred and five…”

“How about your attitude?” Sabine suggested. “You know, there’s a saying that it doesn’t matter how you look in the outside. It matters on how you act in the inside,”

“But what if he hates how I act?” Zeb sighed. “I act like a monster and a jerk,”

“You haven’t even asked him what he thinks of you,”

“I don’t need to. I already know that he thinks me a freak,” Zeb snarled, his ears lowering.

Sabine shook her head, but before could say anything, footsteps were heard approaching the cabin. She looked out to see Ezra coming, making her grin.

“Whatever you say then, Zeb,” With that, she left to head to her cabin with a wave at the boy before closing her door.

Zeb was soon too focused on his exercising that he didn’t hear the door open and the footsteps of a certain blunette enter. When the footsteps came to a stop in front of him, he stopped mid-push and looked up to see Bridger blinking down at him in surprise.

“Uh… Zeb?”

“E-Ezra?!” Orrelios froze in horror at the sight of the boy as he suddenly lost balance and fell on his face. “Ow~”

“Um, you okay?” Ezra couldn’t hold in a giggle while he held out a hand to help his roommate up.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zeb took the hand and stood up, feeling his face burn in embarrassment. “J-Just… uh…”

Ezra smiled at him. The Lasat being a nervous and blushing mess was just too amazing. He would never imagine the other being this messed up ever. It was honestly cute for him.

“Zeb,” he placed a gently hand on his shoulder. “look, I know why you’re exercising,”

“You… do?” Zeb gulped. Was he THAT obvious?

“Yes, but I have to know something first: What is it about me that attracted you?”

Zeb’s face fell. What should he say? How COULD he say them? There was just so many things about the blunette that attracted him more ways than one. There was so much that he didn’t know how to say it all at once.

He took a deep breath and sighed. He then turned around and sat down on his bunk.

“What… What can I say, kid?” he let out a chuckle. “I… There’s just a lot of things about you that I like,”

“And… what are those things?” Ezra tilted his head in curiosity.

“Ezra…” Zeb smiled, glancing briefly at the boy and then back down on the ground with another chuckle. “To be honest, when I met you, I knew things were going to be wild and different. My protective instincts on the crew came over me, and I’m not one to trust new people. That’s why I acted like a jerk to you before. But then, you saved my life, and I got to know you. At first, you were a friend I could trust and a brother I could mess around with. My instincts told me to protect you, like the rest of the crew. As time went by, however, I started to notice that my protective instincts for you were peeking up. I really thought it was just because you’re like a Lasat kit; always troublesome,”

“Ha-ha, funny,” Ezra rolled his eyes, giggling at the comment, but in the inside, Zeb’s words were actually getting to him, turning his face red little by little to the top of his ears.

“Yeah, but honestly, it’s true,” Zeb let out cackle. “Protecting you and watching over you nearly gives me a heart attack, but whenever I’m not with you, it feels like… a piece of me was missing. I… I could barely take a sleep whenever you were gone off on some mission for the Rebellion or some off-world Jedi training. I was worried sick, but whenever you come back, I felt like I couldn’t let you go out ever again. It still felt like a normal overprotective instinct… until I saw your eyes,”

Ezra stopped smiling as he froze, his eyes widening with the sparkle of surprise.

“Your gorgeous… naturally-colored eyes…” Zeb went on, his chest feeling lighter with every word as he lost himself to his feelings. “I felt like I was staring at a volcano in the midst of sunrise and sunset; a magnificent sight of nature. I felt myself drown in your eyes every time we stared. It was almost difficult for me to turn away or pay attention to whatever anyone else was saying. I could stare at you for hours, even through missions. And when I thought you couldn’t get even more beautiful, I got to see your hair. Your naturally sapphire hair. Like Hera said, it was gorgeous and relaxing. Like the calm wave of the ocean…”

Ezra didn’t respond, being too stunned to move or talk. Kanan was good at compliments, especially when it came to his ability with the Force, but Zeb? No, it was rare for him to speak his heart out with such… poetic… words. He was the usual straight-forward Lasat who likes to punch than think, not this… poetic… Lasat who seemed to have his words scripted, even if they weren’t.

But a flash of disappointment went through Zeb’s eyes, and he faced down, his ears lowering. “But… But I know that… to you, I’m a jerk… a monster… someone you can never like…”

He felt butterflies flutter in his stomach, that had sunk at the Honor Guard pulling himself down. The butterflies were there when Kanan spoke his feelings out, but with Zeb, they seemed to duplicate and fly up to his throat, clogging it up with nervousness as he felt his heart beat faster.

“W-Wow, uh…” he soon found his voice, yet he was stuttering more than he knew he should. “Th-That’s… um… l-look, I… I just need time…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Zeb turned away, placing his legs up on his bunk as he hugged himself partly. “I… I can wait…”

Ezra took a step back then once the door slid shut, he sighed in relief and walked to the common room. He sat down with a groan before running his fingers through his hair.

“Kriff me…” he whimpered with a hiss, slamming his forehead on the table.

Hera had walked out of the cockpit to see him melting down. She frowned and sat beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Ezra, you okay?”

“No,” Ezra looked up at her with a sigh. “I told them that I know, and they each told me how they like me, but… but that didn’t help me at all. I… I still don’t know what to do…”

“I overheard Kanan’s speech,” Hera smiled down at him. “It was really sweet,”

“And I heard Zeb’s through the hall,” Sabine spoke up as she entered and sat beside her Lothalian little brother. “He was really into it, very poetic and full of emotion,”

“No… that’s not the problem…” Ezra bit his bottom lip. “I… I already know who to choose, but… THAT is the problem…”

“You can choose who to give a chance to, but choosing is the problem?” Sabine’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Uh, Ezra, enlighten me here ‘cause I am clueless,”

“Look, Zeb and Kanan are friends. They’re silently yet still fighting over me. If I make my choice, I… I’m afraid I’ll be tearing a hole between their friendship,”

“You can never do that, Ezra,” Hera assured him, waving his bangs to the side to make eye contact. “They know that you’d have to choose one of them, and they’re prepared to face it,”

“Hera’s right,” Sabine nodded. “Kanan MAY be a little upset, and Zeb MIGHT give you the cold shoulder for a while, but it’ll be temporary,”

“Because they know that if they love you, they’ll let you go with someone that you love,” Hera finished with a smile, ruffling his hair.

“Thanks,” Ezra returned the small smile before sighing. “I hope you’re right,”

“We’ll have to see it to believe it,” Sabine chuckled then she got up and turned to leave. “I’ll call Zeb,”

“And I’ll get Kanan,” Hera stood up and went down to the hanger, leaving Ezra alone to think of what to say later on.

X

“We’re here!”

Ezra looked up to see Sabine dragging Zeb into the common room. Hera came in a few seconds later, dragging Kanan with her as Ashoka and Rex followed behind them.

“We’re all here,” the Twi’lek remarked as she placed Jarrus in front while the Mando teen positioned Orrelios beside the Jedi.

Ezra felt the blood rush to his face the moment he faced the older males. He took a deep breath and stood up from his seat.

“Kanan, Zeb,” He hesitantly said. “I… I made my decision,”

Zeb and Kanan tensed up, their eyes widening as they exchanged worried glances. Ashoka, Hera, Sabine, and Rex watched from a distance, breathlessly waiting for the blunette’s answer.

“I… I’m sorry, Kanan, but…” Ezra turned to the Jedi. “Look, you’re a great friend and an amazing Master, but… but that’s it. I can’t think of you anything more than one of my best friends and a father-figure. I’m sorry,”

Kanan was taken back by his Padawan’s words. He let out a blink or two before softly smiling, reaching out to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Well, at least I mean something to you, Ezra,” he sighed. “That’s all I want. For me to be someone special to you. Lover or not, if you see me as someone that means something to you then I’m fine with that,”

Ezra beamed. He wrapped the older male in an embrace, which the Jedi happily returned. They soon separated, and Kanan motioned for the blunette to the Lasat, whose peridot eyes were wide while his face burnt red. Bridger nodded and took a deep breath before advancing towards The Honor Guard.

“Zeb…”

“You…” Zeb looked as if he was making sure that all of it wasn’t a dream. “Do you…”

“Yes, Zeb,” Ezra smiled with a small nod. “I… I do. I’m giving you a chance,”

“R-Really…?

Ezra’s smile expanded, the blush on his cheeks returning as he grabbed Orrelios’s shoulder and pulled him down for their lips to meet. Zeb’s eyes widened even more, but he melted into kiss immediately, his eyes closing and his arms wrapping around the boy’s slim waist while Bridger’s arms snaked around the Lasat’s arms as they pulled each other closer.

Kanan watched the two share a kiss with a slightly sad expression. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Hera smiling up at him.

“It’ll make him happy,” she told him.

“I know,” Kanan let out a sigh, forcing himself to smile back at her before turning back at the duo, who had pulled away and were now giggling and laughing. “I just hope he stays happy,”

“Oh, he will,” Sabine reassured him as she glanced at the two. “Zeb will make sure of it,”


	9. The Wren Clan Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Now, this is what I meant about early Season 3. I mixed it all in here. I MAY not have the episodes in the right order, but it would ALL make sense once you start reading. Oh, and since Malachor never happened here, Kanan is NOT blind (his character development would be him allowing Ezra to be happy with Zeb), but I WILL throw in the Sith Holocron and Darth Maul pretty soon. XD

A week after Ezra and Zeb got together, life didn’t seem eventful. The only eventful stuff that ever happened was the two lovers constantly spending time together and Kanan banning Zeb to join Jedi Training to not distract Ezra. Sabine insisted that jealousy was the reason behind it, but Hera didn’t agree and just called it a ‘Jedi Thing’, which Ashoka agreed to since she know that now that they had allowed Ezra to fall in love, he may get distracted with using the Force.

One day, Commander Sato had called Hera in for a discussion with Ashoka and Rex, leaving Kanan in charge. Jarrus, of course, decided to mediate, leaving the three ‘kids’ to do whatever they want.

Sabine was painting a portrait of Zeb and Ezra (for the 5th time that week) when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in!” she said without even looking at whoever made the automatic door open as she focused on her painting.

“Um, Sabine?”

“Hmm?” Finally, the Mandalorian female turned to see her OTP (lmao yes XD) looking a little… distorted. “Ezra? Zeb? What’s going on?”

“We need to talk,” Zeb spoke out, entering the room with the blunette behind him.

“Uh, sure,” Sabine placed her spray paint down and sat on her bed to give the two space to move. “What is it?”

“It’s about these letters from my real parents to my adoptive ones,” Ezra began, handing one of the letters to the girl. “You’re not going to believe this, but we found out that my adoptive mother is a Wren,”

“A Wren?” Sabine opened the letter and let out a gasp. “Woah, you’re right. She IS a Wren. And not just any Wren Clan member. She’s Mira Wren, my Aunt!”

“You’re WHAT?!” Their jaws dropped in shock.

“Yeah, Mira Wren is my Aunt,” Sabine approved as she closed the letter. “No wonder the name Mira seemed familiar to me. Mira is my Aunt, my mother’s little sister. She’s a tough warrior with a sweet heart. I’ve only seen her twice; when I was born and when her dead body was dropped in front of our house,”

“Her dead body was DROPPED in FRONT of your house?!” Ezra was in disbelief.

“Who in their right mind would DO something like that?!” Zeb roared out in rage. “That’s just WRONG!”

“Mother never explained why. Heck, she wouldn’t even talk about what happened to Aunt Mira,” Sabine sighed. “But at least now I know what happened to her,”

“Y-Yeah, I… I guess…” Ezra took a few cleansing breaths since he hadn’t really recovered from the shock. “But… But I still don’t get why your Aunt, my adoptive mother, would keep ME from my real parents…”

Zeb glanced down at him with a frown before rubbing his back to help. “Yeah, even I’m confused. More so at the fact that a Mandalorian from Clan Wren is far, far away in Lothal instead of Mandalore or any of the other Mando-infested planets,”

“Hmm…” Sabine gave it a thought before she snapped her fingers. “I have a great idea! Hey, Ezra, do you remember Fenn Rau?”

Ezra groaned. “Do I need to?”

“Rau? You mean that Mandalorian that the Rebellion captured?” Zeb recalled.

“Yep, that’s him,” Sabine nodded. “You see, while Kanan and I went on a supply run weeks ago, a bunch of stuff happened. You know, the stuff that gets out of hand without a plan since Kanan never planned for it? Anyway, we stole an Imperial Shuttle and ended up far, far away in a distant planet, making us lose radio contact with Hera. I forgot which planet that was, but it was a far-off planet. Long story short, we got ourselves into a little— well, huge actually, kind of trouble, but it was actually worth it since while we were there, we found something amazing,”

She reached down at a secret compartment under her bed and opened it, taking out a black hilt. She showed it to the duo before igniting it, revealing a black lightsaber.

“Woah…” Ezra gasped, his eyes widening so much that they might pop out in amazement.

“What does THAT have to do with Rau, though?” Zeb questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Well…” Sabine grinned cheekily. “Turns out that he knew something about this more than I did. It’s a powerful weapon made by both the Mandalorian and the Jedi. Have you noticed that there are times where Kanan and I disappear after Ezra’s Jedi Training?”

“Wait, have you been training with that thing BEHIND MY BACK?!” Ezra sounded offended.

“Well, either that or I’d risk Zeb snarling at me for getting you to spend time with me and Kanan than him,” Sabine shrugged.

“Eh, that’s true,” Zeb snickered and pecked Ezra’s cheek, causing the blunette to giggle.

Sabine chuckled. “Yeah, well, Kanan’s been training me, with the help of Fenn Rau. There WAS a time that Kanan and Rau got into a little argument since Rau was teaching me Mandalorian ways to win after I’m unarmed, but after that, I got better. Heck, I’d be able to beat you in lightsaber training, Ezra,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ezra frowned, rolling his eyes. “Now, tell me the point of you telling us this,”

“Oh right,” Sabine deactivated the black lightsaber and kept it. “Now, Rau and I have been talking about it for a while, but he was suggesting for us to bring this lightsaber, called the Darksaber, to Krownest and present it to mother, so I could show her that there’s a way for us to free Mandalore from the Empire, and so I can prove to her that I’ve changed since my academy days,”

“And while we do so, we can also get an investigation what your mother knows about my parents, or even IF she knows them,” Ezra grinned, starting to catch on to her plans. “Good idea, Sabine!”

“Hold up, Sabine!” Zeb‘s eyebrows furrowed at her. “Do you really think it’s a good idea? You ain’t just risking yourself in this, you know,”

“I know, Zeb, but yes, I’m sure,” Sabine snickered. “But if you think things will go wrong, why don’t you tag along?”

“Sabine, either you hand me an invite or not, I WILL go with you,” Zeb scowled. “I completely trust you and Kanan to go on this with Ezra, but Rau? I have a feeling there’s a reason on why he’s still under our custody right now,”

“Aw, so sweet~” Ezra giggled, wrapping his arms around the Lasat’s neck to pull him down and peck his cheek.

“Ezra, you’re the ONLY one who can read through his words right now because I did NOT hear anything sweet,” Sabine chuckled.

“He’s willing to risk himself and go with us to protect me, silly,” Ezra plainly pointed out.

“Oh, right,” Sabine rolled her eyes with a grin as she stood up. “Anyway, I’ll get Kanan and tell him the plan. Don’t know if he’ll agree or not, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

“Go on,” Zeb shooed her off. “Ezra and I need to talk,”

“Alright then,” She left the two alone, and the Honor Guard faced the Padawan, his massive, strong hands gently holding up small, frail ones.

“You sure about this, Ez?” He asked, the worry present in his voice. “You know that we’ve dealt with Sabine’s old ‘friends’ before, and it ain’t always a pretty result. What else for her family?”

“What did you hear about them?” Ezra questioned, knowing quite well that Zeb and Sabine used to share secrets of their past before he joined the crew.

“Her mother is strict and a strong fighter, with or without a weapon. Her younger brother inherited that trait and is just as tough as their mother is,” Zeb sighed as he visibly cringed. “Her father… well… she wouldn’t describe him. ‘A bad memory’, as she describes it. Another thing I know is that she had built a destructive weapon that can pierce through Mandalorian armor, thus making her an enemy of her own people,”

“Yeesh, that’s rough,” Ezra shuddered.

“Yeah, I know,” Zeb nodded. “That’s why I’m asking you if this is a good idea. Last time I checked, Jedi and Mandalorians DON’T get along,”

“I remember,” Ezra let out a giggle then he held his hands up to cup the Lasat’s cheeks. “but I also remember that with you by my side, everything will be alright. I trust you, and you trust me, right?”

Zeb blinked at him for a while before smiling and leaning over to kiss the boy’s forehead. “I do trust you, and I swear that I will protect you from whatever might hurt you. That’s a promise I will never break,”

“I know,” Ezra smiled. “I love you,”

“I love you too, kid,”

X

It didn’t take long for them Sabine to convince Kanan to get Fenn Rau and head over to Krownest. It DID, however, take long to convince the Jedi to bring Zeb along, but after a LONG talk with Ezra, he had to submit, and the next thing Jarrus knew, he was in a shuttle with Rau, Sabine, Zeb, and Ezra while Chopper was on a carrier on the outside of the shuttle.

They zoomed through hyperspace and eventually found themselves hovering over the snowy planet of Krownest.

“Home sweet home,” Sabine muttered under her breath with a sigh as she sat on the pilot’s seat while Ezra sat beside her as her co-pilot.

Ezra looked over at the planet and felt his stomach churn with discomfort. He took a deep breath, gulping as he reached down to grasp the dolls in his belt to ease his nerves. A huge hand soon landed on his shoulder, and he looked up and smiled to see Zeb giving him a small grin.

“I’m here,” he whispered as their Mandalorian sister got ready to approach the planet.

“I know,” Ezra leaned closer and felt himself sigh in relief.

The shuttle zoomed into Krownest’s atmosphere, with Sabine reaching in to the Mandalorian security and telling them who she was to attempt a friendly landing.

Unfortunately, the response was anything but friendly. In an instant, a small army of Mandalorian guards came after them in their jet packs. They were shooting them down (obvious through Chopper’s panicky beeps) and had sadly shot their engines, making them crash in the snowy forest.

After a few groaning and a complaining, followed by Kanan questioning if everyone was alright, the shuttle door opened to reveal Sabine coming out and placing her helmet on. Ezra followed in pursuit, placing on his own helmet with pointy orange Loth-cat ears, red eye covers, and painted ice blue with brown linings and designs (more about it, later) as he stood beside the other teen. Kanan went after them, his blaster out and ready for any attack.

“I think it’s safer for you two to stay here and help Chop with the shuttle,” Jarrus spoke to the two inside.

“But— argh,” Zeb growled in irritation, but folded his arms in agreement. “Fine,”

“Alright,” Rau nodded and quickly slid the door shut just in time for the small army to arrive.

“Remember, I could be related to one of them, so play nice,” Sabine reminded her Jedi companions, releasing the holo-shield she got from Rau.

“Don’t worry, Sabine,” Ezra grinned under his helmet. “We’ll play nice,”

Soon, the three were cornered and surrounded, with all of the Mandalorian guards aiming their blasters towards them. The blunette noticed this and took out his own lightsaber.

“Ezra…” Sabine hissed. Why can’t that boy just listen to her?

The Commander (?) of the army spotted the blue light and let out a quiet gasp before proceeding to allow the army to fire. Kanan noticed this and ignited his lightsaber to help his Padawan deflect the shots as Sabine used her holo-shield. As they did, one of the blaster shots deflected back to the Commander, hitting him on the shoulder and causing him to fall.

“Ezra!” Sabine scolded.

“What? They shot first, Sabine!” Ezra defended himself.

“Sabine…?” the fallen Mando was helped to stand, grasping his shot shoulder before calling his army to cease fire.

The army obliged to the command. Kanan and Ezra saw this and kept their lightsabers as the Commander came forward. As soon as he was in front of them, he removed his helmet, revealing his dark brown hair and golden brown eyes.

“Tristan…” Sabine removed her helmet and placed it under her arm, letting her colorfully-dyed hair bounce in the cold air before she took a step closer.

The male, who seemed to be a teenager himself, looked over at her with narrowed eyes. He sighed.

“You changed your hair again,” he pointed out.

“You know me,” Sabine attempted to lighten the mood as she moved her bangs aside and gave a grin to him.

“Do I? Who’re the Jedi?” the guy, Tristan, snarled, motioning to the duo behind her.

Sabine sighed, glaring at him. “I’ll explain everything,”

Tristan frowned, but he didn’t argue. It didn’t take long for the group to walking towards the Clan Wren Residence, with the other Mandalorian warriors watching them from the side as they walked while Sabine quietly explained to them that Tristan was her younger brother.

‘He doesn’t act like her brother.’ Ezra hissed, glaring at the bulkier Mando’s back, especially at the Imperial symbol on his armor. ‘Ugh, he’s an Imperial even? Eh, to be fair, Sabine was in the Imperial Academy, but sheesh, this guy’s just something else.’

As he internally ranted, he never noticed his irises glowing red through the red eye covers of his mask. Kanan, however, noticed it and immediately grew worried by the glow. He slowly grabbed his arm to catch his attention, not stopping to not gain any suspicion from the one leading them, even if he was busy arguing with Sabine at the moment.

“Ezra,” he whispered as lowly as he could.

“What?” Ezra growled, his voice lowering as well.

“You’re raging again,” Kanan plainly said, even if there was worry present as he spoke.

“Feel it through the Force?”

“Yes, AND your eyes are glowing,” Kanan gave his Padawan a stern look. “Your eyes might be reddish-brown, but whenever you get mad, frustrated or feel any negative emotion, they turn and glow red,”

Ezra was surprised. He didn’t think that his natural eyes would show off so much emotion. Was that the true reason why his parents had hidden them away?

“O-Oh, sorry,” he turned away, his eyes finally ceasing their glow as he felt his rage leave him and replace itself with worry. ‘I need to be more careful with my emotions then…’

X

“Argh, where are they going?” Zeb scowled as he watched the army of Mandalorians lead Sabine, Kanan and Ezra off.

“To the Clan Wren Residence to face Sabine’s mother, Countess Ursa, no doubt,” Rau replied, opening the door as soon as the group was gone. “Come, we must follow them. Who knows what might happen,”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Zeb took out his bo-rifle and leaped out of the shuttle, shuddering when he felt snow beneath his bare feet. “Karabast, it’s cold!”

“That’s Krownest, alright,” Rau chuckled then he turned to Chopper. “Droid, can you repair the shuttle before we return?”

“WUP WUP WUP, WUP.” Chopper beeped in a grouchy reply. “WUP WUP WUP WUP.”

“Good,” Rau nodded before placing on his helmet and turning to the Lasat. “Let’s go,”

“Right,” Zeb kept his weapon and proceeded to follow the male Mando through the snow.

X

“Mother, we need to talk!”

Sabine ignited the Darksaber in front of her brother, mother and Clan Relatives, all of them gasping in shock at the dark blade. Kanan didn’t flinch while Ezra’s eyes widened in surprise again, even if his expression was hidden in his helmet.

There was a moment of shocked silence before Sabine deactivated the Darksaber, clearing her throat.

“Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, this is my mother, Countess Ursa Wren,” she gave a brief introduction.

‘Alright then.’ Ezra sighed, stepping forward to attempt a greeting. “Hi—“

The moment he stepped forward, however, the army of Mandalorians, took out their blasters, ready to fire. Ezra froze in his spot then he backed up with his hands slightly up in surrender.

This was going to be one LONG and DIFFICULT talk.

X

“What’s happening?!” Zeb kept asking, fidgeting around and about as his companion looked over at the group from a distance with his binoculars. “What’s going on?!”

“Shh!” Rau scowled at him. “I can SEE them enter the house, but I can’t HEAR what their conversation is. Come on, we need to get closer, but you need to be QUIET.”

“Karabast.” Zeb snarled, folding his arms with a growl. “Fine.”

“Good,” Rau set down his binoculars then he and the Lasat made their way to Clan Wren Residence.

X

Ezra was right. It was a very, VERY LONG and DIFFICULT talk.

Sabine and her mother Ursa argued quite uncontrollably. Them raising their voices at each other and trying to prove their point as correct to one another was making it too obvious that they were related.

The whole time, Kanan was silently watching with Tristan and the rest of Clan Wren while Ezra had his arms folded.

Their lightsabers has been taken away to ensure that neither he nor Kanan would attack the clan. It made him grumpy to have one of his defense weapons taken away (he still had his electric slingshot, thank the stars), but at least he was able to keep him helmet on. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he shouldn’t remove his helmet to Clan Wren. There was something about them that made him squirm…

Finally, after a couple of minutes, the mother and daughter went out to talk in private, leaving the Jedi and Padawan in the company (and mercy) of Sabine’s brother and his army.

Ezra let out a sigh and closed his eyes, letting calmness replace the irritation he felt earlier as he let the Force flow through him and around the throne room. He could feel fear, rage and doubt from each and every Mando in the room, especially from Tristan. Not just for them, but for Sabine too. As if they were expecting something to happen… or SOMEONE to come…

‘That doesn’t feel good.’ Ezra felt the Force ring through his ears of any danger.

He felt Kanan tap a hand on his, and he turned his head to see the man looking stern yet worried.

“Do you feel that?” Jarrus asked in a whisper-like manner.

“I do,” Bridger responded, equally quiet, with a small nod. “Something is coming…”

“SOMEONE is coming,” Kanan corrected, looking over to the door the female Mandalorians left through.

“There’s something about Countess Ursa that makes me want to KILL her,” Ezra admitted, yet he made sure that his voice was SUPER low, so no one, especially Tristan, could hear him.

“Well, her younger sister WAS the one who lied to your real parents and forced you to become like her and her husband…” the Jedi shrugged, trying to reason out the strange feeling.

“I can FEEL treachery,” the Padawan hissed. “I can feel her WANTING Clan Wren to rise, even if it meant…”

“…betraying her own daughter, and us while she’s at it,” Kanan bit his bottom lip, unsure. “I don’t know if she would stoop down that low, but sending her hatred for the Jedi does seem to point to that direction…”

“I KNEW we shouldn’t have given up our lightsabers that easily,” Ezra frowned.

“We can’t be so sure that she will do what you sense her doing,” Jarrus placed a hand on his Padawan’s shoulder. “We have to wait,”

‘Waiting will be the END of us.’ Bridger growled lowly but forced himself to nod. “Okay, Kanan. Whatever you say,”

But deep in his mind, he hoped that Zeb and Rau were still following them. And he knew that they were.

Well, he at least knew Zeb was following them. Other than the fact that he could sense him, he didn’t really need the Force to know what was going on in that Lasat’s head.

Suddenly, footsteps leaving the room snapped him back to reality, and he turned to see Tristan gone.

‘I KNEW something was happening.’ he glanced back at Kanan, who seemed to alert about the Mando’s disappearance as he readied one hand on his blaster before giving a nod to his Padawan.

Something was going to happen. And it wasn’t going to be good.

X

“Lasat, you have good hearing, don’t you?” Rau asked as the duo neared the Clan Wren Residence.

“Yeah, I do, why?” Zeb narrowed his eyes at the other. Out of all the Mandalorians he met, Sabine was definitely the only one he could trust. Rau? Not so much.

“Put your ears on the wall,”

“What?! Why?!”

“Because this wall leads to Countess Ursa’s quarters,” Rau explained. “If I listen, I can hear her talking to someone through holo-communication, but their conversation is a blur. You’re good hearing might just help us learn what the Countess is planning,”

“You want me to intrude a conversation?”

“You really think that our friends aren’t at risk? Countess Ursa hates the Jedi,”

“Would she really risk her OWN DAUGHTER just to capture Jedi?”

“Mandalorians are quite prideful for their own clan,” Rau simply replied.

“Damn it, fine.” Zeb rolled his eyes, grumbling before pinning his ears to the wall to listen.

After a while of listening, the Honor Guard’s eyes widened, his grip on the wall tightening as he gritted his teeth. Rau soon noticed this and got curious with suspicion.

“What do you hear? Who is she talking to?”

“She’s talking to a guy called Gar Saxon, and… He’s coming here to get our friends!” Zeb peeled himself off the wall with a louder growl. “She’s also got their lightsabers, plus Sabine’s Darksaber!”

“Tsk, of course,” Rau hissed. “We need to get those lightsabers away from her hands and back into to friends. I know Gar Saxon, and lets just say that him coming here is NOT the best thing for any of us,”

X

And it really wasn’t the best. About an hour later, a while after Ursa returned to her throne to confront the Master and the Padawan, Gar Saxon appeared with his army of Imperial Mandalorians. The time Sabine and Tristan got to the throne room, Ursa had already handed Gar Saxon the Darksaber and offered the two to spare Sabine, but of course, Gar Saxon happened to have OTHER PLANS.

‘Why am I not surprised?’ Ezra snarled as the Imperial Mando explained that he was planning to burn down Clan Wren since it now had a link to Rebel Intel.

Of course, Gar Saxon’s betrayal has set Tristan off, and in a few minutes, the throne room had turned into a battle field, with Clan Wren fighting off the Imperial Mandalorians. Kanan grabbed his blaster and begun to help Clan Wren defend their clan while Ezra used his slingshot, but he found it utterly useless against Mando armor, so he just went behind his Master to avoid being hit.

In the middle of the battle, Zeb went crashing in through the door with Rau jet-packing behind. The Lasat spotted his lover’s helmet among the chaos and immediately ran to him.

“Ezra!”

“Zeb?” Ezra turned just in time to see his boyfriend hand him his lightsaber. “Ah, yes! Thanks, Zeb,”

Zeb grinned and took out his bo-rifle then the two begun to duel. Meanwhile, Rau had dashed over to Kanan.

“Here, you’ll need this,” he spoke, tossing the cylinder to Jarrus.

“Thanks, but I think Sabine needs it more than I do,” The Jedi tossed his lightsaber to their Mandalorian crew-mate. “Sabine, heads up!”

“Got it!” Sabine grabbed the lightsaber and ignited it to challenge Gar Saxon.

Their battle soon went overboard, sending the teenage female Mando outside on the ice to duel the Imperial Mando. The group were left on the terrace, forced to only watch the fight and to not intervene.

“We have to help her!” Ezra insisted, and Zeb agreed with him.

“No! We must let her fight this battle by herself!” Ursa opposed, followed by an excuse of Mandalorian Tradition.

Kanan couldn’t stand her words. Sabine was like a daughter to him, and her OWN MOTHER would FORCE her to fight a battle all by herself? Against someone who seemed to have more experience than her?! It might be the overprotective fatherly instincts yelling, but whatever it was, he KNEW that she needed help. Not now, but later on, he knew she would.

So he confronted the Countess.

“Is Tradition and Legacy more important than your own daughter?!” He scowled, crossing his arms. “I know Sabine’s a fighter, and she can possibly defeat Gar Saxon, but I know her, and she WILL NOT kill him. That’s not what we do,”

“She WILL kill him!” Ursa insisted with a pride of a warrior, not a mother. “That is the Mandalorian way! She would NEVER abandon our ways! I know her better than you! She’s my daughter!”

“Well, you’re wrong,” Kanan’s voice grew strict and grave. “She is MY daughter, and I’ve thought her that it isn’t all about death.”

Indeed, he was correct. The moment the group reached the duo, Sabine had both Kanan’s lightsaber and the Darksaber, but she merely deactivated them, stating that it wasn’t her way anymore.

Ursa was caught off-guard, but she couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s victory as the female Mando teen turned back to them with a relieving smile. As she made her way back, however, the Countess noticed Gar Saxon weakly getting up and readying his gun, aiming it at Sabine.

‘Sabine!’ Her motherly instincts kicked in, and she took out her own blaster to defend her eldest.

BANG!

Gar Saxon’s gun went off first.

BANG!

Ursa’s went next, shooting straight to the chest of the Imperial Mando, who was taken back by the shot before he fell, dead.

Sabine was shocked when her mother brought out her blaster, but when she turned around and saw Gar Saxon’s corpse, she finally understood.

Her mother had defended her from death.

Ursa went over to her, setting a hand on her shoulder. “No one threatens our family,”

Sabine couldn’t help but smile. She jumped and wrapped her mother in a warm embrace.

From a distance, Tristan watched with a smile of his own. Rau did too. Kanan let out a sigh of relief, before being followed by a smile. Zeb grinned at this.

“Welp, that’s Sabine’s mission done,” he chuckled, turning to the blunette. “How about we go on with your mission next, huh?”

Ezra wanted to reply, but he couldn’t. His words had fallen to the pain suddenly occupying his waist, and he looked down to see a blood.

‘Kriff.’ His fear and panic peeked. So that’s who Gar Saxon REALLY aimed for; Him.

He was soon hyperventilating before he could even stop himself. Zeb’s face fell to worry and quickly grabbed the boy as he tried to walk but stumbled.

“Kid? Ezra?” The Lasat’s peridot eyes looked over the blunette, and he froze the moment he saw the bleeding would. “Oh, son of a—!” He knelt down with a thump and cradled Ezra’s now-shivering body, gently holding in the side in attempt to stop the bleeding, but he failed miserably and ended up with more blood staining his hands and his shirt. “Karabast! Kanan! Sabine! I need help!”

Everyone flinched in shock when they heard the panic in his voice. They turned to him, and Kanan and Sabine were the first to react the moment they saw the boy bleeding in the Lasat’s arms.

“EZRA!” The two zoomed to the duo’s side, their eyes wide and screaming in fear, panic and horror.

Zeb didn’t hesitate to remove the helmet, letting it fall onto the snow before cringing at how pale the boy was. Kanan had knelt down to help when the other Mandalorians ran over to see the wounded boy.

“What happened?!” Sabine demanded.

“Gar Saxon… shot him,” Ursa let out a gasp through her own words.

“What?!” Kanan got defensive, immediately standing to confront the Countess. “How do you know that?!”

“Gar Saxon shot before mother was able to,” Tristan spoke, his voice betraying the worry he tried to hide with his neutral expression. “He must have seen her target him and changed aim,”

“You think?!” Zeb snarled at the male Mandalorian teenager, who jumped at the rage in his voice.

“We have to get him to the med-bay! Now!” Sabine screamed, her voice rising with panic and fear.

Her Lasat big brother nodded and carefully lifted Ezra into a bridal carry then they ran back to the house. He held the boy close as he ran, not bothering to let him go as he held him closer to him chest, not caring if the blood begun to stain his fur.

“Hang on, Ez,” he whispered. “You’ll make it out alive. I promise,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Oh no! Will Ezra make it? Tune in next chapter to know! XD


	10. The Wren Clan Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N To be fair, I have no idea if I was writing the previous chapter correctly (As in, directly from Season 3: Legacy Of Mandalore), but I hope it made sense enough (or at least, it was obvious). Most of the scenes I placed are off-script, though. XP Anyway, enjoy!

It was a LONG recovery time for Ezra as he was strapped to a dextrose in the med-bay of Clan Wren Residence. The shot had gotten into his body, and he had lost plenty of blood, but thankfully, he was going to live.

Zeb never left his side during his recovery time. He wouldn’t even leave the med-bay to eat or drink or do anything.

Kanan would have to give his friend some food and water in order to get him to eat and drink. The Jedi couldn’t blame him for sticking so close to the kid, though. The Lasat loved Ezra to bits, even if it meant starving himself.

Hera herself didn’t take the news well. In fact, she scolded Kanan for not being alert or not feeling Ezra’s pain through their bond. She wanted to be there to take care of the boy, but she knew she couldn’t because of an upcoming mission from Commander Sato.

Soon, days turned into weeks. Ezra was feeling a little better and could now leave the med-bay. Unfortunately, Chopper was still in the middle of fixing the wrecked shuttle, prompting the group to stay in Krownest for a few more days. Rau had begun helping the droid, despite the fact that he and Sabine would be staying with Clan Wren in Krownest to plan out a way to liberate Mandalore from the Empire, while Kanan and Ursa helped Sabine with perfecting her training with the Darksaber.

Ezra was currently in one of the guest rooms holding the dolls to his chest as he had his eyes closed. He had been practicing meditation for the past few days and could practically feel the presence of his real parents somewhere in space. His male mother’s presence felt too far for him to accurately reach while his father’s presence was still far, but it was nearer in a way where he could get another shuttle and fly it to where he could be.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a familiar presence came into the room. Ezra didn’t have to open his eyes to know who it was.

“Hey, Zeb,”

“Hey,” the Lasat smiled and sat beside the boy, holding the ice blue helmet to give. “I believe this was dropped?”

Ezra fluttered his eyes open and returned the smile, gently taking the helmet into his hands. “Thanks, Zeb. This helmet’s kinda special to me,”

“How come?” Zeb raised an eyebrow.

“It was one of the first helmets I had in my collection,” Ezra glanced down at the helmet with a sigh. “I found it stashed back in my old house when I was 8,”

“Did it belong to your… adoptive parents?”

“No, it didn’t. There was a note beside it that said that it was sent to the house from the Lothal Post Office,”

“So it belonged to your real parents then…” Zeb nodded in understanding.

“They sent it to me as a present, but you know my adoptive parents well,” Ezra snarled as he set the helmet down beside him on the bed.

“Well,” Zeb wrapped an arm around the blunette with a grin. “since we’re done helping Sabine with her mission, we can finally do yours before we leave, don’t you think?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Ezra huddled closer to his lover with a smile. “Where do you think they are, though?”

“Let’s try the throne room,” Zeb suggested with a shrug. “Kanan, Sabine and Countess Ursa usually head there after Sabine’s Darksaber Training. Tristan heads there to rest too,”

“To the throne room, then,” Ezra cackled and placed the dolls back in his belt before they got up and left the room.

They made it to the throne room to see Kanan and Tristan helping an exhausted Sabine down on a cushion while Ursa plopped down on her throne, exasperated and just as tired.

“Oh, Sabine,” she sighed with a groan. “If you aren’t going to focus on training, you’re never going to get better,”

“I WOULD focus IF I could get more encouragement than commands,” Sabine growled, rubbing her aching shoulder.

“Encouragement like what? ‘Hey, Sabine, you are the best at slicing walls’?” Kanan teased with a snicker.

“Ha-ha, funny,” Sabine pouted with a glare at the Jedi before turning to see Zeb and Ezra come forward. “Oh, hey, guys,”

“Hey, Sabine,” Zeb chuckled as he looked over at her. “Tired or exhausted?”

“Both,” Sabine sighed, slumping back on the cushion.

“You just need some rest, Sabine, and you’ll be fine,” Kanan waved her off then he turned to his Padawan. “How about you, Ezra? You doing okay?”

“Better than before,” Ezra went forward gave his Master a reassuring smile then he turned to his Mando big sister. “Hey, Sabine?”

“Mm?” Sabine managed to hold her head up to look at him. “Yeah?”

“Now that we’re done with your mission here, can we proceed to mine?”

“Huh? Oh! Sure, sure,” Sabine forced herself up and stretched, standing up with a sigh.

“Mission? What mission?” Ursa got up and narrowed her eyes at them.

“Yeah, What mission?” Kanan crossed his arms at the three.

Zeb and Ezra’s eyes widened in surprise at the Jedi’s confusion as Tristan went beside his mother with the same suspicious expression. Sabine was suddenly alert and gulped.

“O-Oh! Right!” she giggled nervously and scratched the back of her head. “Uh, didn’t I tell you about it, Kanan?”

“No, you didn’t.” Jarrus frowned before turning to the boy. “What mission is it, Ezra?”

Ezra didn’t have to say anything. He took out the dolls from his belt and held it close to him.

Kanan’s eyes widened in surprise and confusion. “Okay… but why in Krownest?”

“It’s because… um…” Ezra gripped the dolls tighter, looking over at the female Mandalorian teenager for help.

Sabine glanced over at him then she turned to her mother. The mission was going to FREAK HER OUT. She knew it would. Her Aunt Mira was a topic that her mother either hated or emotionally avoided, but she knew that the topic was out already, so she might as well say it.

“It’s because… it has something to do with…” Sabine sighed. “…Mira,”

“Mira?!” Ursa’s eyes were wider than it had ever widened. “As in… MIRA WREN?! MY SISTER?!”

Kanan’s jaw dropped then he turned to his Padawan for an approval. Ezra nodded and squeezed the dolls harder. Zeb placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, gently giving it a reassuring a squeeze.

“Yes, mother,” Sabine gave a nod. “It’s about Aunt Mira. Please, mother, can you tell us anything about Aunt Mira,”

“And maybe… explain why her dead body was dropped here years ago,” Tristan’s voice was quiet, but it was obvious that he was curious about the Aunt they never knew about.

Ursa looked over at her children then glanced at the Jedi, the Padawan and the Honor Guard. Her face showed shock and horror, with tears streaming down her cheeks without her consent as she closed her eyes and stood up from her throne with a sigh.

“Mira was a Mandalorian of grace and kindness as much as strength and bravery,” she began, her voice still shaky, but she didn’t bother. “She was merely second to me, both in throne and skill, but she never cared for power. All she cared for was our family. She cherished family more than anything, and at the age of 16, she already longed for a child of her own,”

‘Yeah, no kidding…’ Ezra suppressed a growl as he held himself steady.

“A few weeks later, a Jedi had crash-landed here with his student,” Ursa went on. “They had begged to stay with us, so they could rest and fix their ship, and our mother had stated that they could stay, but they had to give up their lightsabers whenever they were inside. The Jedi and his student trained outside of the house, and Mira and I were in charge of making sure they wouldn’t attempt anything suspicious. As time went by, however, I started to notice Mira getting closer and closer to the Jedi’s student, Ephraim,”

Ezra’s jaw dropped. His adoptive father was A PADAWAN?! No wonder he was good at changing his mind and diverting his attention. He was using THE FORCE, for hell’s sake! The thought of Ephraim manipulating him made him sick and angry.

“I assumed that it was only a crush,” Ursa shook her head. “like the other warriors she had fallen for. Unfortunately, their bond had gotten too close. One night, during dinner, Mira had blurted out her love for him. Our mother was enraged and scolded at her, but that didn’t stop her. A few nights later, I caught them kissing under the moonlight. I didn’t want to keep the truth from mother, but I had to. For Mira’s sake, I did. Mira was so thankful that she promised that even if she and him were together, she would never abandon us,”

“But… she didn’t keep that promise,” Sabine spoke, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes, she did not,” Ursa sighed. “One day, Ephraim and his Master were called in to Coruscant for war. Mother and I were glad to see them leave, but what we didn’t expect is Mira leaving with them. After they left, we realized that she was missing. Mother had led a search party to find her, but she never made it back. I became the new Countess of Clan Wren at age 17,”

‘Mother became a Countess when she was my age?!’ Sabine was speechless at the news. She didn’t know her mother had gone through that much.

“A few weeks later, I got a call from a far-off planet called Lothal. I was surprised to see Mira on the other side of the call. She had told me that she had married Ephraim. I was so enraged for her treachery that I hung up and blocked any of her calls. I haven’t seen her alive and well ever since,” Ursa closed her eyes and wiped her tears. “The last time I saw her was when an old friend of hers turned against us and had killed her in front of me, dropping off her dead body,”

“An old friend?” Ezra tilted his head, curious. “Who is—“

“That blue guy WAS A FRIEND OF AUNT MIRA?!” Sabine screamed, interrupting the boy’s question.

“Yes, Mitth’raw’nuruodo was one of her old friends,” Ursa gave a small nod. “He and his aid Eli Vanto are old friends of hers. She had met them on one of her missions from mother. Her ship was lost in the Unknown Regions. It crash-landed twice, thus meeting them separately, yet for some reason, the trio had found each other once more,”

“But why would he kill your sister if they were old friends then?” Kanan asked.

Ursa went quiet for a while, her eyes glancing down at the floor before she let a shaky breath escape her. She turned around, looking up at the wall behind her throne with her hands behind her back.

“I had asked the same question, but a little more tearful,” she answered, quite reluctantly. “Mitth’raw’nuruodo had told me that when they had met in Lothal, he and his newly-wedded husband Eli Vanto had lent Mira their three-week old son, for inter-species and homosexual relationships were forbidden in Coruscant and in the Imperial Academy, and it was a fact that Ephraim was infertile, so she couldn’t have a child of her own blood. She had promised to take care of him with her husband, and when the boy turned one, she promised that she would update them about his well-being,”

“But she didn’t.” Ezra couldn’t hold in a hiss of irritation.

“Indeed, she did not.” Ursa nodded as she turned back to face them. “In fact, she had blocked them a year after taking the boy in. Soon, Mitth’raw’nuruodo had gotten news that Mira and Ephraim were speaking out against the Empire. He was so enraged that he personally arrested them, handing Ephraim over to an Inquisitor to kill in Mustafar while he personally interrogated Mira about their son,”

“Aunt Mira must have told him something that made him mad if he was that enraged to kill her,” Tristan said with a sigh.

“Yes, she had told him something that made him snap,” Ursa cringed at the memory. “She had told him that his son was a menace hybrid, so she neglected him and killed him,”

Ezra froze with a gasp while Zeb‘s eyes widened. They had the right theory. Mira DID tell Ezra’s real parents that he was dead. But… why would she do that…?

“Why would Aunt Mira do that?” Sabine questioned, asking the same question as the boy and the Lasat were thinking.

“I don’t know,” Ursa crossed her arms with a low growl. “I know Mira well, and I knew she would never kill anyone, let alone a child, but Mitth’raw’nuruodo presented me with the proof,” She went over to a nearby drawer and took out a Loth-Cat toy stained with dry blood. “This was a toy his husband had sent to Mira to give to their son. She had presented this to him and even conducted a DNA test via blood as proof of killing the boy in his sleep,”

Ezra’s eyes widened the moment he saw the toy. ‘Is that… Neko…?! When did Mira stain Neko with MY blood?!’

“So that’s why Aunt Mira was killed,” Tristan shuddered.

“But… why would Aunt Mira lie to him about his son?” Sabine frowned.

“Excuse me, LIE?” Ursa stared at her daughter with bewilderment. “Sabine, do you know what REALLY happened to the boy?”

“He was abandoned in the streets of Lothal for 8 years,” Ezra answered for the rainbow-haired Mando, twitching in rage as the memories of his harsh childhood flooded into his mind. “And was forced to believe that he was an unwanted orphan that was hated by everyone…”

Zeb saw the blunette gripped the dolls tighter to his chest, so he quickly reached out and grabbed his free hand. Ezra blinked in surprise, but when he turned to see who had held him, he gave a small smile of thankfulness.

Kanan watched them from a distance then he turned to Sabine, who was biting her bottom lip in worry before turning to her mother and brother. Both Ursa and Tristan were speechless, with surprised looks on their faces.

“How do you… know what happened to the boy so well, Bridger?” The Countess wondered, finally finding her voice.

“I know him well because… I am that boy. I am Ezra, adoptive son of Mira Wren and Ephraim Bridger, and the real son of Mitth’raw’nuruodo and Eli Vanto,”

Ursa froze in shock. Tristan gasped, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor. Sabine folded her arms and looked over at the ground while Kanan folded his arms, expecting the reaction. There was a brief moment of silence before the Countess looked over at the toy in her hands then she got down from her throne and handed it to him.

“If what you’re saying is true then this must be yours,” she gently spoke as the boy took back his hand from the Lasat and took the toy.

“It is, thank you,” Ezra smiled and hugged the toy. “This is Neko. Mira and Ephraim gave him to me when I was 3, but I lost it when they got arrested. At least I know what happened to it,”

“Is that the real reason you came here with Sabine?” Tristan raised an eyebrow at the blunette.

“It’s actually the reason why I came here at all,” Sabine replied with a shrug. “When he told me about Aunt Mira, it reminded me about the Darksaber and that I had to bring it here to help Clan Wren,”

Ursa looked over at the boy, analyzing him with her eyes narrowed. Ezra didn’t flinch under her gaze and seemed to look back at her with an expressionless face, his eyes bright red at the light coming from one of the open windows. Their eyes met and locked, but the blunette’s solemn aura felt out-of-place, making the Countess visibly tense.

“You ARE Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s son,” she stared. “You have his stare,”

“And I thought the hair gave it away,” Sabine grinned.

“It kinda did,” Tristan was now staring at Ezra too, his eyes sparkling with sudden interest. “Very… exotic looking, honestly,”

The boy raised an eyebrow in question while Zeb growled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at the male Mandalorian. The Lasat surely knew what that gaze meant, and he wasn’t having any of it. Kanan smirked this and lowered his hands on his sides to prepare to hold the Honor Guard back in case of any unnecessary attack.

“Indeed exotic,” Ursa nodded, turning away. “I just can’t think of a reason as to why Mira would lie to Mitth’raw’nuruodo about your death, Brid— Ezra,”

“I’d like to know that too,” Ezra sighed, internally grateful that she had stopped calling him by his FALSE last name. “but no matter how hard I try, there’s nothing in our old house that could explain the secrecy,”

“Aunt Mira did a couple of harsh things to Ezra just to hide him, actually,” Sabine blurted out. “From forcing lenses onto him and leaving his hair mixed with black hair dye to faking his death, it was a total nightmare,”

“The hanging question, though, is why would she do that?” Kanan stepped forward, making sure that he was in between Zeb and Tristan (better safe than sorry). “Why would she hide Ezra so much that she even would hide him from his own parents?”

“Maybe it’s because of the fact that his real parents work for the Empire,” Ursa suggested. “Well, at least his real father does. I have not seen Eli Vanto, but the last time I checked, he was a Commander Lieutenant while Mitth’raw’nuruodo was a Commodore,”

“I don’t care if they’re working for the Empire,” Ezra shook his head. “All I care is that they’re alive,”

“We still don’t know why Mira would hide Ezra, though,” Kanan pointed out. “It was like they knew something about Ezra that they intended to hide more than from just the Empire,”

“Hiding more than the fact that he is a Jedi?” Ursa raised an eyebrow.

“Force-sensitive, not a Jedi,” Ezra clarified before adding, “Not yet, at least,”

“Ephraim could have known since he was a Padawan,” Kanan was lost in the thought, but he waved it off. “But Mira couldn’t have known that unless he told her. It’s still a mystery on why Ezra was forced to change and hidden from his own parents by adoptive parents that seemed to want him to be their own son by blood,”

“That IS a mystery,” Sabine nodded in agreement. “But it would make a little sense if Aunt Mira would do it out of selfishness,”

“It still does not explain why she faked his death, though,” Ursa’s face grew stern. “Mira valued family more than anything. If she truly loved Ezra as her own, she would have let him return to Mitth’raw’nuruodo, not let him be an orphan in the streets,”

“Maybe she was too proud of not telling me anything about my biology,” Ezra shrugged, groaning.

“Well,” Ursa let a small smirk slide on her face. “Mira had always been full of pride, even if she lost a training session. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she was too proud to admit that she hid your lineage from you,”

“Maybe it’s hereditary,” Sabine grinned. “You and I are pretty prideful too, mother,”

“Are you saying Tristan isn’t proud?” Ursa stared at her daughter with curiosity.

“He is, but there aren’t A LOT of things he could be proud of, really…”

“Hey!” Tristan glared at his older sister.

Ezra couldn’t help but giggle. His voice must have reached the male Mando’s ears, for in just a few minutes, Tristan had a deep, dark blush on his cheeks, which Sabine noticed and snickered at.

‘Aw, too bad Ezra’s taken.’ she glanced at her Lasat big brother, who was now giving her real brother a dark glare that could chop his head off.

Kanan must have seen her glancing and signaled that he could hold the Lasat back, allowing Sabine to breathe out a sigh of relief before holding a thumbs up.

“Anyway,” Jarrus took a step forward, gently setting a hand on Tristan’s shoulder briefly. “Countess Ursa, did your sister tell you anything about Mitth’raw’nuruodo and Eli Vanto?”

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo is a Chiss, a being from the Unknown Regions, while Eli Vanto is from Wild Space,” Ursa replied, turning to the Jedi. “That was all she was allowed to say,”

“An alien? In a xenophobic government like the Empire?” Sabine was surprised.

“That’s what we thought too,” Tristan gave a nod, his cheeks returning to his normal color. “It was quite odd to see him in Imperial Space, much more in a high rank the Empire,”

“But we have no clue to where he could be now,” Ursa shook her head. “When he brought Mira’s body here, he was already leading a fleet called the 7th Fleet,”

“And that was 8 years ago,” Ezra sighed and crossed his arms. “Now, Father could have been sent anywhere,”

“Not entirely ‘anywhere’, Ezra,” Kanan grinned. “When I got in contact with Hera after telling her what happened to you, she had told me an update on Lothal since Vader. Governor Pryce had gotten back-up from Tarkin, bringing in the 7th Fleet to assist her on her problems about the ‘Rebel insurgents’, a.k.a. Us,”

“That’s great, then,” Sabine mused.

“Not so great,” Ursa frowned. “The 7th Fleet had gone through many battles, unscathed. Mitth’raw’nuruodo is a very tactic genius, always studying his opponents well before striking, very, very calmly. And he always seem to be at least 5 steps ahead of everyone else,”

“I wish you were just like that,” Kanan teased his Padawan.

“I AM,” Ezra glared at him. “at times,”

“Like when?” Sabine raised an eyebrow with a grin.

“Like when we made that deal with Vizago to get some info about Kanan’s whereabouts,” Ezra smirked.

“Eh, he’s got a point…” Zeb snickered, finally shrugging off Tristan’s presence. “He seemed to have everything sorted out that time. Even Vizago was shocked,”

“Even If he is your father, underestimating Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s skill and mind will be your end, Ezra,” Ursa warned.

“Even if he’s my father, I will not let my guard down,” Ezra shot back with a straight face as he folded his arms. “He is still an Imperial. Plus, I don’t know him personally, other than the fact that he likes art, and he’s a good fighter,”

“Who’s a good fighter?”

The group turned to see Rau enter with Chopper. The droid beeped in frustration, moving towards the group with his metal arms waving in annoyance. Ursa sighed.

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” she answered.

“Oh, him,” Rau’s face turned sour. “He is quite a skilled fighter, intelligently and tactically insane, from my sources in the past. He is the only alien to rank up to power in a field of human officers, making him a force to be reckoned with,”

“Rau, did you get any intel on where he might be?” Sabine questioned.

“Not recently, no,” Rau shook his head.

“WUP-WUP.” Chopper beeped up at the Jedi. “WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP, WUP, WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP.”

“They’re planning what?!” Kanan’s eyes widened. “Why would they…?! Why would she even…?!”

“Uh, Kanan?” Ezra blinked at his Master with confusion. “Something wrong?”

“It’s Hera,” Kanan snarled. “She and her father, Cham Syndulla, had found each other and are planning to do something back in Ryloth,”

“That’s not good,” Zeb hissed.

“Chopper, is the shuttle ready?” Ezra asked the droid.

“WUP WUP-WUP.” Chopper let out beeps to reply. “WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP-WUP, WUP WUP WUP WUP. WUP-WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP-WUP WUP-WUP WUP, WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP.”

“One trip, huh?” Sabine chuckled. “You guys better get going then,”

“Yeah, we should before Hera and Cham decide to leave Commander Sato’s ship with no back-up other than Rex and Ashoka,” Kanan nodded and turned to the door to follow Chopper out. “Come on, Ezra, Zeb,”

“I guess this is goodbye, then,” Tristan spoke as he stroked Ezra’s sapphire blue hair.

Ezra felt the blood rush to his face the moment his hair was touched before he turned his head away. “Yeah, I… I guess it is,”

He dashed to the hallways to get some other things he had left in the guest room, like his helmet. Zeb watched him leave before turning to the male Mandalorian teenager with a growl. Sabine saw this and couldn’t help but grin.

“Yo, Tristan,” she set a hand on his shoulder and gave it a tap. “I think your flirting up the wrong guy. Ezra’s got a boyfriend,”

“He… does?” Tristan raised an eyebrow at this. “I mean, I’m not surprised since he seem to be the type of guy to get chased by many others, but who is he dating?”

“Me.” Zeb claimed.

Tristan turned to the Lasat in surprise and doubt. He then paled, his eyes widening under the Honor Guard’s dark and deadly glare.

“O-Oh! I… I see…” Tristan gulped, turning away with fear written in his eyes.

Sabine let out a laugh, watching her brother shrivel down and move away from Zeb, who didn’t turn away from the now-afraid boy. Kanan got a glance of this and smirked.

‘Well, looks like we aren’t heading back to Krownest any time soon… unless Tristan minds having Zeb glare at him every time he was near Ezra…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Lol. Nope. Trizra is my 2nd fav ship, but it ain’t my ship here XD A more possible ship in the actual show, but not my ship in this story ^^ Or maybe another time :) We’ll see


	11. Mission To Ryloth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Yay! We’re so close to Thrawn’s debut! XD Can’t! Wait!

The trip to Commander Sato’s ship was shorter than expected. Kanan was the pilot while the two were at the back, with Zeb embracing Ezra protectively.

The boy knew what Sabine’s brother was doing earlier and was just happy that his Lasat boyfriend was able to control himself from raging and, at worst case scenario, killing Tristan. He honestly would have a hard time controlling himself if the male Mando teenager had been doing that at a daily basis. He wasn’t sick of the flirting (Zeb had done worse). He was just a loyal boyfriend.

‘At least Sabine told her brother that I was taken.’ he thought with a grin, snuggling into Zeb’s soft fur. ‘Things could have ended worse.’

“We’re approaching Commander Sato’s ship,” Kanan said, swiveling his chair to smirk at them. “Maybe you can tone down the cuddle party until you guys are alone in your cabin?”

Zeb sighed and reluctantly let go of the blunette. “Fine…”

“Oh, Zebby,” Ezra giggled and pecked his cheek. “I’m sure this won’t take long. We’ll have our moment soon,”

“Eh, true,” Zeb smiled and, stroked his bangs aside, kissing his forehead.

‘Oh, kriff, cheesy much.’ Kanan chuckled and rolled his eyes away from the couple as he neared Sato’s ship. ‘Well, better this than Zeb ready to bite Tristan’s head off…’

X

“They’re here,” Ashoka said, motioning to a shuttle connecting to Sato’s ship.

“Took them long enough,” Hera sighed in relief, her arms crossed as the door to opened to reveal Kanan entering with Chopper, Zeb and Ezra following behind.

“You doing okay, kid?” Rex ruffled the hair of the boy with a grin. “Heard you got shot by some Imperial Mando,”

“Yeah, I did, and I’m fine, Rex,” Ezra chuckled.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Hera patted his shoulder with a smile then she looked up to glare at the Jedi.

Kanan gulped and grinned nervously, raising his hands up in defense. “I swear, Hera! I was just as afraid and panicky as you!”

“You wouldn’t be if you prevented the incident,” the Twi’lek female snarled.

“No one expected Gar Saxon to change target, Hera,” Zeb defended. “We were all in shock when Ezra began bleeding,”

Hera let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, as long as everyone’s alright, I guess it’s no harm done. Where’s Sabine? And Rau?”

“They planned to stay to help Clan Wren liberate Mandalore from Governor Tiber Saxon,” Kanan replied before she turned to see a beige male Twi’lek enter the room. “Oh, and this must be your father,”

“Yes,” Hera nodded and motioned to the male Twi’lek. “Kanan, Zeb, Ezra, this is Cham Syndulla, my father,”

“Um, hi,” Ezra greeted with an awkward wave, but there was something about Hera’s father that made him want to NOT be nice to him.

“Greetings,” Cham Syndulla nodded in acknowledgement to the boy and the Lasat before turning to the man. “You are Kanan Jarrus, I presume?”

“Yes, sir, I am,” Kanan nodded with a bow then he turned to their Captain. “So, Hera, what’s so important about in Ryloth that you and Cham have to go there?”

“There’s something very important that we need to get from my old home,” Hera explained. “It’s an old Twi’lek legacy. We need to get it before any Imperial takes it,”

“Or gets rid of it,” Cham growled. “An enemy of mine, Captain Slavin, had taken charge of keeping our home away from Rebel hands,”

“We have to sneak in and grab what we need then get out without anyone spotting us,” Hera began to sketch out the plan.

“Hera, it will be safer if you take a small team with you to sneak inside,” Cham suggested. “I will stay in your ship with the rest of your crew just in case,”

“Alright, Father,” Hera gave a nod then she turned to the clone and the boy. “Rex, Ezra, I need you two to accompany me inside as troopers. Rex, you stay outside to blend in with the other troopers just in case we need back-up. Ezra, you stay close to me. Kanan,” She then turned to the Jedi. “I want you and Zeb to stay in the ship with Father. We can’t underestimate Captain Slavin, no matter how… predictable… his ways are, from what Father had told me,”

“Indeed, we should not,” Ashoka placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “I will stand by with Phoenix Squadron and Commander Sato,”

“Thank you, Ashoka,” Hera returned the smile. “Your help is appreciated. Really,”

X

“What kind of a disguise is this?” Ezra questioned as he held a new trooper costume that Rex had given him.

“Something we picked up while you, Sabine, Zeb, and Kanan were at a Krownest,” Rex shrugged, slinging a basic stormtrooper armor over his shoulder. “It’s the only trooper disguise that would fit ya, so you really got no choice,”

“I obviously don’t,” The blunette groaned under his breath then he turned to head to his cabin to change when the clone called him again.

“Hey, kid?”

“Hmm?” He looked back with a raised eyebrow.

“Is it true?” Rex asked, careful of his words since he knew that he was going to a sensitive topic. “Is your father really… Mitth’raw’nuruodo?”

Ezra blinked at him for a while before he sighed, nodding. “Yeah, it’s true. I am,”

“Do you know anything about ‘im, though?”

“No, not yet,” The boy shook his head and turned away. “We’re going to keep investigating after this mission,”

There was a brief moment of silence, with neither of them moving as the blunette held his breath, wishing the other would just leave him be and change into his disguise. It took a while, but finally, the clone let out a sigh.

“Alright then,” he gave small nod before turning away to leave the hall.

Ezra let the other take his leave, and once the clone was gone, he released a breath of relief. He entered his cabin and set the new trooper costume down on the bottom bunk. He sat down beside it and groaned, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to take a deep breath.

He thought that going with Sabine to Krownest would give him answers to his parenthood, his lineage, or anything that could give him information about why his adoptive parents would hide him or where his real parents could be. It gave him some answers, but Mira Wren’s story also gave him more questions, especially about his adoptive parents’ sanity and overprotectiveness or about if his real parents still want him even if they think he’s dead. Or even why Mira would even make them think he was dead.

Ezra flinched in nausea before a wave of nostalgia hit him, remembering hearing his real parents’ voices from his baby memories. He wished a baby’s eyesight was clear. He would’ve loved seeing his biological parents after his birth and before he was given up. Right after his real father had given him…

“…the Kalikori…” At that moment, he froze with wide eyes, realization dawning upon him, and before he knew it, he was reaching out for the blue chest.

He opened it and took out the medium box then he set down the chest and opened the box to see the Kalikori, still intact and as beautiful as before. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before stroking the smooth wood and allowing the memories flow back to him.

_ ‘…it is from Ryloth…’ _

Then, he thought back to what Zeb had told him about it from Hera.

_ ‘…no one outside of Ryloth has ever had anything like that before…’ _

Suddenly, a new question hung in the air.

Which Twi’lek family did the Kalikori belong to?

“I’m overthinking things again,” Ezra sighed, waving off the question as he laid down on the bunk.

He raised the Kalikori up for him to observe, and he noticed a homemade carving at the back of it’s holder. It had the initials ‘T X E’ with a heart around it and the words ‘Our baby boy’ below it but in a smaller font than the initials. They let another sigh escape his lips, his eyes closing once more as he tried to not overthink again, allowing the silence to surround him… until a familiar voice came up to interrupt.

“Shouldn’t you be changing?”

Ezra opened his eyes and slowly sat up to see Zeb enter the room. The Lasat’s voice alone made the boy smile as he set the Kalikori down.

“I am about to,” he replied, moving a bit to let the other sit beside him.

“Better hurry, though. Hera might get grumpy,” Zeb teased as he lightly nudged him. “And we’re also almost to Ryloth, so yeah, you better change already,”

“I will,” Ezra grinned. “once you leave,”

“Why? Can’t trust me to not look at you while you change?” Zeb smirked.

“Maybe…~” Ezra giggled and leaned his head on the other’s shoulder. “And also because you distract me to easily,”

Zeb snickered and stood up. “Alright, alright. I could see that I’m already distracting you. I’ll go,”

“Thanks, Zebby,” Ezra beamed then he stood up, carrying the trooper disguise as the Lasat proceeded to leave.

He had turned around to change when his boyfriend’s voice got his attention again.

“Hey, Ez?”

“Yes?” He turned his head to face the now-worried Lasat.

“Be careful out there in Ryloth,” Zeb said with his ears lowered and a frown on his face. “Come back alive,”

“Oh, Zeb…” Ezra dropped the armor and walked over to him, throwing his arms around his neck with a smaller smile. “I will. I promise that I’ll be back ALIVE,”

“You better be alive,” Zeb chuckled as he held the boy’s waist and kissed his nose.

“I will be. Don’t worry,”

“That makes me worry,” Zeb sighed and shook his head before pulling away. “Just… promise me that I’d see you alive again,”

Ezra nodded. “I promise,”

“Good,” With that, the Lasat left.

The blunette turned and walked back to the bunk to put on the armor when the Kalikori on the lower bunk caught his attention again. There was an urge at the back of his head that was wanting him to bring the Kalikori with him. He didn’t know why, but it felt like he should bring it with him.

‘Goddamn It.’ Ezra sighed and dropped the armor again as he grabbed the Kalikori and proceeded to bring the other things he needed.

X

The Ghost crew was as discreet as they could, landing on the surface of Ryloth that was near Cham’s camp. The ramp opened, and Hera, Rex and Ezra came out with their disguises. Chopper was also came out with them, his orange surface painted black to disguise an Imperial droid.

“We’ll let Chopper signal you and the others when we’re done,” Hera told her father.

“Good,” Cham nodded and pulled his daughter into a hug. “Be careful,”

“I will,” Hera smiled and returned the hug. “I promise,”

Ezra watched them from a distance, a sigh escaping his lips. He shook his head and turned away.

‘ _Soon, Ezra, soon…’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Aw :( Our poor blueberry needs a hug!


	12. A Familiar Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The scene in this chapter is (hopefully) from the episode in Season 3, where the Ghost Crew first meets Thrawn. Forgot the title of the episode, though. Lol. And I warned you guys that the Season 3 episodes are mixed here, so they’re not all in the right order. Hope you guys still like it!
> 
> Also… THRAWN IS FINALLY IN THIS CHAPTER! YAY!

The mission was more difficult that they thought. Ezra wasn’t too surprised, though.

Getting into the Syndulla Residence was fine. Captain Slavin was more idiotic than Hera expected. Fooling him and getting in her own house was simple. Rex stayed outside with the other stormtroopers, prior to the plan, while Ezra and Hera went in with Chopper. The droid had to separate from them to do his part of the mission (whatever it was, Ezra didn’t want to know), so the two had to sneak in deeper into the house.

Unfortunately, when they made it to the room where they needed to go, a disappointment awaited them.

“Wait, what?” Hera was in shock. It should be RIGHT THERE. She was sure that’s where they had left it. “Where is it?”

“Where is what, Hera?” Ezra asked, moving closer to the Twi’lek and partly looking over their shoulder for any other troopers. “What are we looking for again?”

“My family’s Kalikori,” Hera admitted, sighing. “I was hoping that my suspicions were wrong and that I’d find it here, but…”

“Wait, your family’s WHAT?” Ezra’s eyes widened as a lump of guilt clogged up his throat.

“Ezra…” Hera pressed a button on the side of the helmet, and the pointy visor opened to reveal his shocked expression. “I… I should have told you…”

“The Kalikori… it used to belong to YOUR family…?”

“It does. Well, it DID.” Hera nearly bit her tongue at her own words, but the Kalikori was the only thing that Ezra could remember his real father give to him, so she couldn’t just take it from him.

“Why… Why didn’t you tell me…?”

“I wanted to think that it was just a coincidence…” Hera sighed. “But now…”

“I… I’ll give it back,” Ezra felt his throat go dry as he spoke. “I… I know how much it means to you and your family…”

“No, no! It’s fine, Ezra,” Hera smiled and placed a hand on his armored shoulder. “I didn’t tell you because I know how much that Kalikori means to you, so it’s fine. You can keep it. Let’s just get out of here, and I’ll explain to father everything,”

Ezra nodded and placed his visor back on then they ran off. They headed to the halls, avoiding any troopers until they made it to the lift. They planned to enter it and escape when the Force rang through the boy’s ears.

Someone was coming.

“Hera, wait!” He grabbed the Twi’lek and pulled her back to hide as the elevator doors opened to reveal Captain Slavin and a new, blue-skinned Imperial Officer wearing a long-sleeved snowy white uniform. He had his hands behind his back as he (irritatingly) listened to the Captain, who was too lost in his words to turn or be alert of the two rebels.

Ezra narrowed his eyes at them, especially at the new arrival. Something about the new officer felt… intriguing… and… familiar…

“Ezra?” Hera soon pulled him out of his thoughts. “Something wrong?”

“O-Oh! Y-Yeah…” He blinked and cleared his throat, nodding slowly before turning to the lift. “Look, the elevator’s clear. Let’s go,”

“Alright,” Hera knew there was something in the boy’s mind, but she knew that escape was their main priority, so she just let the issue slide and followed the blunette as he entered the elevator as discreetly as possible.

But not discreet enough.

X

“They’ve reduced security,” Zeb looked through the screen from the spy drones’ cam (his niece’s spy drones. More about her later) as he sat on his bunk with a hiss. “That doesn’t seem good…”

“What doesn’t seem good?”

Zeb looked up to see Kanan enter with furrowed eyebrows. The door slid close behind the Jedi, who approached the Honor Guard and sat down beside him.

“Zeb, what’s going on?” Kanan leaned in to see what the other was holding. “What do you have there? A data-pad?”

“I… I’m looking through my niece’s spy-drones,” Zeb sighed. “It’s not that I don’t trust Hera or Rex or Ezra. It’s just that… there’s a feeling in my fur that something bad’s about to happen…”

“Like… what?”

“They… They reduced security on the entrance,” Zeb let out a grunt. “There’s only two troopers guarding the entrance now. It’s an easy exit,”

“TOO easy…” Kanan nodded, biting his bottom lip. “Let’s just hope they get out without any trouble…”

X

“Alright, we’re almost out,” Hera sighed in relief as the lift slowed down to a stop.

‘Finally.’ Ezra also allowed himself to breathe, but he still couldn’t shake off the familiarity of the blue-skinned Imperial he saw earlier. He hadn’t seen him quite clearly (the side and the back of his white suit is the clearest thing he had seen so far), but there was something about him that made him… familiar…

The lift finally stopped and opened it’s doors. They both stepped out to see a stormtrooper running towards them.

“There ya two are,” Rex’s accent had given the two a chance to loosen up the fear of getting spotted as he came to a stop in front of them. “Did you get what you needed?”

Ezra was about to answer when Hera spoke up. “Yes, we did. I gave it to Ezra for safe keeping, but what are you doing here, Rex?”

“Captain Slavin reduced the guard number and told the rest of us to patrol somewhere else,” Rex frowned in his helmet. “Is it just me, but is something going on with the fact that security getting all… loosened up?”

“It doesn’t matter. We just need to get out of here,” Hera quickly dismissed the thought. “Come on, we need to—“

“The elevator’s moving!” Ezra called their attention, pointing to the lift.

“Ah, kriff. What do we do now?” Rex scowled.

“Rex, take Ezra to hiding,” Hera commanded. “I’ll try to make a distraction,”

“But, Hera—“ Ezra tried to oppose, but the a DING! from the lift signaled him that they had no time to argue, so he sighed and let Rex push him away.

“Come on, kid!” the clone urged him to move as the doors of the lift opened to reveal Slavin and the blue-skinned man.

Hera had her head low as she turned to them. Her disguise covered almost her whole lekku while her clothings were more for a servant than a pilot, so it was a perfect disguise to excuse herself the moment Slavin scolded at her as if she was a mere wayward servant. She gave an apology with an indigenous accent to try to fool them, but before she could take her leave, the other Imperial called for her to stop.

Ezra watched from behind Rex as Hera was caught. The new guy called for troopers to grab her, and the clone made a move to act and come out. With him out of the way, Ezra could clearly see the new Imperial Officer, and his eyes widened the moment he saw his blood red eyes.

‘…’ The boy was speechless, physically and mentally, but he snapped out of his trance the moment he saw them take their leave. ‘Kriff, I can’t lose them!’

He secretly followed them to Slavin’s Office. Unfortunately, the doors were shut before he could enter, so he gave a groan and ran to hide. The armor, however, was turning out to be nuisance, so he ran to a vacant room (with no troopers or anything) and quickly got out of it. Soon, he was back in his good-ol’ orange jumpsuit with his backpack slung on his back.

‘Phew, good riddance.’ he threw the armor to a corner and ran back to the office to hear a trooper falling. ‘Oh, kriff, Rex! But if Rex was caught, that means… oh no, Hera!’

He wanted so badly to force the door open (like legit, use the Force to open it), but he knew that if he did, he would have also gotten caught, so he just stood still and waited. As he did, he looked up and found some vents. He sighed in relief and quickly went up to hide just in time to see the door to Slavin’s office open. He looked down from the holes of the vents, and he cringed to see Hera being forced to carry an unconscious (and helmet-less) Rex down the hall. He followed them as discreetly as he could, leading him to a prison cell.

“An unexpected pleasure to meet you, Captain Syndulla,” the blue male spoke in a voice and accent that Ezra found both familiar and a little frightening.

“I wish I could say the same thing to you, Admiral,” Hera shot back, making the blunette shudder at the anger and coldness of her voice towards the blue guy.

“It’s a pity that our first encounter might be, well, our last,”

“Oh, don’t count on it so easily,” Hera narrowed her eyes at him with a low growl. “I have friends in VERY high places,”

‘Hera, are you TRYING to give me away or what?’ Ezra shook his head in frustration, still watching the events unfold in front of him.

“If you are talking about your ship and your friends then I assure you that they will be joining you and this other Rebel soon,”

“I wouldn’t be so smug, if Captain Slavin is going to help,”

Of course, this comeback sparked anger in Slavin (no matter how true it was) as the captain gritted his teeth and attempted to step forward. “What did you say—?!”

“Forgive him,” the alien raised a hand to stop the captain without turning away from the Twi’lek Captain. “I thank you for your hospitality, Captain Syndulla,”

With that, he turned away, shutting the door behind him as he and Slavin left with a stormtrooper by their side.

From above, Ezra waited until he couldn’t feel neither Imperials nearby before he kicked the vent opening open and jumped out with a thump. He ran over to the door, knocking on it to catch his friends’ attention.

“Hera? Rex? You guys in there?”

“Ezra?” the blunette sighed in relief at the sound of Hera’s voice. “Ezra, is that you?”

“Yeah, Hera, it’s me. I’m going to try to get you guys out of there,” Ezra looked about the door, trying to find an opening or a panel to open the door when the Force rang wildly, deafening him as he felt it warn him of danger.

He swiftly moved to the side, near-missing a blaster shot as he did a barrel roll and released an electric ball from his slingshot. He had been aiming for the blue man, but the alien dodged as swiftly as he did, allowing Slavin to scream the moment he was electrocuted before fainting.

“Impressive aim, boy,” The boy turned his head at the alien, who still had his hands behind his back as he approached him with the trooper behind him. “I believe you belong to Captain Syndulla’s Rebel team?”

“What gave it away?” Ezra growled, readying his slingshot for another blast.

“Accompanying Captain Syndulla is already a giveaway,” the admiral pointed out, his blood red eyes analyzing the blunette.

“And there’s a problem with that?” Ezra aimed at the Imperial as Slavin finally came to, holding his head.

“You surprise me,” the alien’s eyes slightly widened. “A young boy such as yourself should not tamper with Rebellious activities such as this,”

“I’m not that young!” Ezra scowled, releasing the electric ball.

The admiral moved again, the ball electrocuting and knocking out the stormtrooper this time, making the blunette hiss. This new Imperial was starting to be an annoyance to him, no matter how familiar he may look.

“Your aim lacks focus,” the alien spoke.

“Hard to focus when you’re around,” Ezra shot back with a smirk, jumping back to keep a distance.

“Troopers, seize him!” Slavin ordered to a group of stormtroopers passing by.

The troopers obliged to the command, immediately surrounding the Rebel. Ezra took one good look at them before sighing and raising his hands.

He knew when it was a time to fight and a time to give up. THIS was certainly a right time to give up.

Two troopers grabbed him and brought him closer to the admiral, whose eyes loomed over at the boy before pausing at the beige bag strapped on his back.

“Hand over his belongings,” he commanded, and the other stormtroopers forced the backpack off the blunette.

Ezra was VERY overprotective with his things and struggled as he and his precious backpack were separated. He glared at the trooper holding his bag then as he began to walk to hand over the backpack, Ezra tripped him up, unfastening the bag and sending it sliding across the room.

“Hold him steady!” Slavin roared at the stormtroopers, already growing irritated with the boy.

The alien stared down at the blunette, his eyes getting the attention of the Rebel’s own reddish-brown ones. What surprised him more was that even in the darkness of the house, the boy’s eyes were glowing bright red.

That certainly wasn’t normal.

He diverted his red pupils to the dropped bag. He knelt down to gently grab hold of it when he noticed that something had fallen out. He lifted the backpack, and his blood ran cold when he saw what had fallen.

The Kalikori…

“This… is quite a surprise… indeed…” he grabbed the Kalikori and the bag before standing up and turning to face the blunette. “I believe this DOES NOT belong to you?”

Ezra’s eyes widened when he saw HIS BACKPACK and HIS Kalikori in the admiral’s hand. His protective instincts took over, and he pushed back the troopers with such a force that it sent them back.

“It DOES belong to me!” He snarled, and the alien could swear he saw the boy’s eyes reddening and glowing more intensively than earlier (if it was even possible).

“I believe that this belongs to the Syndulla family,” the admiral opened the cell door, and Hera’s eyes widened to see the Kalikori in his hands. “I presume that this is what you aimed to achieve?”

“Give that back!” the green Twi’lek roared out.

“Highly unlikely,” the alien replied. “I will keep your Kalikori in a place of honor,”

“If I knew you’d take it, I would have smashed it when I had the chance,” Hera hissed, but deep down, she knew she couldn’t really do that. It was Ezra’s, after all.

“You surprise me,” the admiral spoke as he handed the Kalikori and the bag over to a trooper. “Does your history mean so little to you?”

“Our family legacy belongs to us ALONE.” Hera claimed with a growl.

The alien acknowledged this, but he ignored her words and turned around, shutting the cell door behind him as the other stormtroopers grabbed Ezra to hold him down. Slavin took out his blaster and planned to execute the boy, but the blue man stopped him.

“No, Captain Slavin,” He said, taking the backpack and the Kalikori from the stormtrooper. “He may prove himself useful to us. Troopers, have this boy transported to my ship,”

Slavin let out a scoff, keeping his blaster as the blue man placed the Kalikori inside the bag. “We should just kill the boy and destroy that piece of Twi’lek trash—“

He was interrupted, however, when the alien admiral suddenly grabbed him by the jacket with a hiss, his blood red eyes glowing with intensity. There was a brief moment of silence until the blue Imperial realized what he was doing and released the captain.

“Forgive me, Captain Slavin,” he gave an apology as he dusted the other officer off and grabbed the backpack he had dropped on the ground. “I have forgotten that not everyone appreciates art as much as I do,”

Ezra wanted to laugh when the scene unfolded, but he didn’t say anything as he was forced to move, giving a glare to the admiral before he found himself being taken out of the house and into an Imperial shuttle.

X

“Your Kalikori…” Rex sat up and groaned the moment he and Hera were left alone for the second time. “…it’s the one that Ezra’s father gave him, wasn’t?”

“Yes, it is,” Hera sighed, hugging herself in a warm embrace. “I… I really hoped it wasn’t the same Kalikori, but when we didn’t find it… I… I just wish it was just a coincidence…”

“Yeah, me too,” Rex frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. “And… that blue alien admiral… was that…?”

“Yeah, it was,” Hera let out another sigh, her expression growing stern as she slowly nodded. “Mitth’raw’nuruodo, Ezra’s father,”

X

“Karabast.” Zeb cursed under his breath as he watched Ezra being taken away through the spy drones cam. “Ezra…”

“Zeb,” The Lasat looked up to see Kanan at the doorway. “something went wrong,”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Zeb gritted his teeth, calling the Jedi over. “Look! They got Ezra!”

“What?!” Kanan ran to the cam, and his eyes widened to see Ezra being forced inside the Imperial shuttle. “Kriff…”

“We need to get him back!” Zeb roared out with worry.

“Too late,” Kanan bit his bottom lip, pointing to the screen to see the Imperial shuttle leaving Ryloth.

“Ezra!” Zeb stood up and slammed the data-pad on the bunk, clawing the back of his head. “We need to get him back NOW!”

“We can’t, Zeb!” Kanan argued. “As much as I want to, we CAN’T! Hera’s still in there with Rex and Chopper. They need help as much as Ezra does, but they’re in worse danger than he is. We have to rescue them first,”

“But—“

“Jarrus! Orrelios!” Cham’s voice suddenly rang through their comms. “Come to the bridge immediately!”

‘I thought it was called a cockpit.’ Kanan flinched before picking up his comm. “Alright. We’ll be there,”

“What’s going on?” Zeb crossed his arms as the man kept his comm.

“Nothing good,” Kanan headed for the door. “Let’s go,”

“But what about Ezra?!”

“We’ll get him later. Come on!”

“Argh, fine!” Zeb sighed with a groan then he ran behind to follow the Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N This chapter feels kinda small. Oh well. ^^ Next chapter will be longer. Promise!


	13. Haunting Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I promised you guys a longer chapter, and I’ll try my best! XD Also, this is THRAWN’S BIG DEBUT! YAY! Yahoo!
> 
> If Thrawn feels a little OOC in here, though, then I’m sorry! This is my second time writing about him and my first time starring him in one chapter alone, so I’m not sure if this exactly his character. So sorry!

And to think that the day was going to be uneventful. Of course, Thrawn had to be wrong.

His fleet had been requested and sent to Lothal to help with Governor Pryce with her Rebel Problem. Thrawn himself was already IRRITATED and ANNOYED by the vile woman’s complains, rages and rants about the Lothal Rebels and their Rebellious scams. He needed a vacation, or at least a couple of galaxies away from Pryce, so he volunteered to help Captain Slavin with an occupation in Ryloth.

Everything was going smoothly (as smoothly as things would go, anyway), but when Rebels are involved, things never run smoothly for long.

Captain Slavin was the worst company Thrawn had (even Pryce was more bearable than he was). Slavin was an idiot. He couldn’t even recognize a Rebel, even if it was right under his nose (he really couldn’t).

But alas, he was the one in charge of the operation, and Thrawn was only there to help, so he had to bear with the man, no matter how hard it was.

The moment the lift had closed after he and Slavin left it, Thrawn knew that they had company. Of course, the captain had no clue of what was happening, much to Thrawn’s annoyance, but he pushed the rage inside and let his plan go into place.

At the end of the day, the Rebels were apprehended, with the victory of capturing of Hera Syndulla, daughter of Cham Syndulla and Captain of the Lothal Rebels, along with two fellow Rebels; one a clone and the other a boy. The clone was not much of a surprise, but the boy was surely someone that he never expected. He expected the Rebels to be older and more experienced with war, or at least have experience from the past like the events of Order 66.

But no, this boy looked too young to have been there before the Empire first took rise. He was young, immature, and innocent-looking, but what Thrawn couldn’t shake off was the familiarity of the child to him. He felt like he had seen that sapphire hair and those reddish-brown eyes before. When those eyes glowed as red and as intensely as his when he rages (an occasional thing, really), it made him even more curious and suspicious to where he had seen him.

But he knew that investigation would have to wait. He still had to finish up his job in Ryloth before he could return to the Chimera, which was still hovering above Lothal with the rest of his fleet.

At the moment, he had retreated to his temporary office, the boy’s backpack on his desk as he leaned back and observed the Kalikori on his hand. His eyes looked over it before pausing at the carved signature at the bottom.

The Kalikori wasn’t even suppose to be in Ryloth. He remembered earning it and giving it to someone very, very special to him. Someone whom he knew he couldn’t see anymore.

His only son.

Thrawn winced at the thought of his only child. The memories were flowing back to him faster than he could stop them…

_{FLASHBACK}_

_“WAAH! WAAH!”_

_Cadet Mitth’raw’nuruodo jumped at the sound of a crying child. He ran to his husband’s hospital room as quickly as possible, and when he got there, his eyes were wide to see his beloved on the hospital bed, rocking something in his arms._

_“Shh, shh,” Cadet Eli Vanto gently soothed the being he cradled, his voice soft and quiet as he began to sing him a sweet lullaby. “~Hush little darling, don’t you cry_

_Mommy’s right here, right by your side~”_

_Thrawn’s eyes slowly retracted before a small smile stretched across his face. He hesitantly took a step forward, and his footsteps alerted the brown-haired human, who turned his head towards him with a wide smile._

_“Don’t be afraid, Thrawn,” Eli pulled out an arm and motioned the Chiss to come closer. “Come and see him,”_

_Thrawn nodded and went beside his husband. Eli moved closer, and the Chiss hovered over to see._

_Wrapped around in a sky blue blanket was a healthy baby boy. He had light olive skin, just like Eli, and strands of sapphire blue hair, just like Thrawn. The child squirmed a bit before slowly opening his eyes. Thrawn blinked in surprise to see the baby’s reddish-brown eyes sparkling under the ceiling lights._

_“Isn’t he beautiful?” Eli giggled, stroking their son’s small strand of hair. “Hey, little one. Aw, you’re such a wonder, aren’t you?”_

_“He is, indeed,” Thrawn smiled and nodded in agreement. “Our sweet little *En'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini …”_

_{END OF FLASHBACK}_

Thrawn stood up, throwing the Kalikori on the desk before turning to take a deep breath.

Giving up his one and only son was the worst decision and the biggest regret he had ever made. He thought he could trust Mira with him, but he was wrong. So, SO wrong.

Thrawn subconsciously growled under his breath, shutting his eyes tightly as he took another deep breath.

He was dead. His son was dead.

He had to keep reminding himself, no matter how much it broke him to remember. It had already broken his husband Eli’s heart and spirit when he had told him the news. He was so broken up that he had to be sent to Csilla to clear his head and help his mental and emotional health get better.

Thrawn turned back to the Kalikori and picked it up, one question in his mind.

How did the Rebels get their hands on his son’s Kalikori?

He set the Kalikori down and took the backpack, opening it to scavenge it’s contents. 

There were a few droid parts and some tools. Nothing too surprising or special. It only made him assume that the boy was either a scavenger or, if it made more sense, a thief before he joined the Rebellion.

He set the things aside and dug in lower, grasping something underneath before pulling it out.

It was a beige sack, stuffed up and tied up shut. It was honestly quite a familiar-looking sack. He felt as if he had seen it before… many, many years ago…

_{FLASHBACK}_

_“Lieutenant Vanto,”_

_“Oh, hi, sir,” Lieutenant Eli Vanto spoke, his accent thick as ever as he turned to his superior with a smile._

_Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo entered the room, shutting the door behind him before walking beside his aid. He noticed something on his desk and grew curious._

_“And what might that be?” He asked, pointing to the unknown thing._

_“Oh, it’s just a sack full of cloth, needles and stuffing,” Eli took the beige sack in his hand and opened it to show. “I was thinking of making something to send to our baby boy. What do you think?”_

_“Perhaps, but I honestly disagree to that plan,” Thrawn frowned. “Neither Mira nor her husband had replied to either of our letters, and it worries me…”_

_“Maybe they’re just busy with our baby to reply. He should be turning three years old this year,” Eli waved him off, a smile on his face that Thrawn couldn’t resist but return. “I’m sure our little boy is LOVING everything we’ve given him so far, but what do you think I can make him with cloth and stuffing?”_

_Thrawn sighed, knowing he couldn’t change his husband’s mind anymore, so he just gave his reply. “A doll, perhaps?”_

_“A doll? Hmm…” Eli looked around and found a picture of him and Thrawn on their private union, causing an idea to spark up in his brain. “I know! I’ll make a doll of us! Each of us! So our baby knows that whenever and whenever he sleeps, we’re right beside him,”_

_“I suppose,” Thrawn smiled and nodded, his eyes glancing at the sack before looking back up at his husband._

_{END OF FLASHBACK}_

Now he remembered. Eli had made the dolls, plus an extra Loth-Cat toy, and had placed them all in this sack to send through holo-mail.

But why was the sack now in the hands of Rebels?

Thrawn knew that the Loth-Cat toy that was stained with blood when Mira killed his son was left with Mira’s older sister Ursa in Krownest, and he wouldn’t be surprised if Mira had burnt down the other two dolls before she was arrested, but what he couldn’t comprehend is why all the things he and Eli had sent to their son were in the hands of a boy, more specifically a Rebel Cell, when it should have been found years ago when the troopers scavenged Mira’s home or at least have been left alone in the house.

He shook his head out of his thoughts and opened the sack to see it full of holo-letters. He took one out and set the sack down before opening the letter.

He recognized it all too well. It was one of the letters he and Eli sent to Mira years ago, begging to see their child, or at least get documentations of their boy’s childhood. Seeing that the letters were all piled up in a sack, Thrawn assumed that the letters were never opened and sighed.

“Of course…” he closed the letter and placed it back inside the sack, which he then closed before he reached in a hand inside the back-pack to check if he had missed something.

And he did. His fingers were able to grasp the last thing inside the bag. When he took it out, however, his blood ran cold.

The Loth-Cat toy. It was the Loth-Cat toy that he had abandoned. It looked the same as Thrawn had left it, but the only difference was that it wasn’t in Krownest. It was with this boy, in the old backpack.

Thrawn felt his knees beginning to weaken as the memory of the last time he had seen this toy came back to him…

_{FLASHBACK}_

_It was cold and dark in the Chimera, especially in it’s Detention Cells._

_Newly-promoted Commodore Mitth’raw’nuruodo made his way to one of the cells with two stormtroopers by his sides. He opened a specific cell, and it revealed a woman wearing her long-sleeved silver outfit and a silver hat to hide her hair as she sat on the seat in the cell._

_“Mira Wren,”_

_“Mitth’raw’nuruodo…” Mira hissed, looking up at the Chiss with a glare as he went down to confront her. “Where is my husband?!”_

_“On a trip to Mustafar with the Grand Inquisitor.” Thrawn snarled. “Now, where is my son?”_

_“Dead!” Mira roared out, pulling on the restraints on her wrists. “That damn hybrid is dead! Nothing but a menace, like his father!”_

_BAM! She was soon thrown from her seat and onto the wall, hitting it hard before falling and landing on her side. She let out a groan as she looked up to see Thrawn moving closer._

_“Do you really expect me to believe that you killed him?” he raised an eyebrow at the Mandalorian, but deep inside, his worries and self-doubt were peeking up._

_What if she really did kill him?_

_“Scavenge the house for anything!” She scowled. “All you’ll find is proof that I killed him in his sleep when he was 6, on his birthday!”_

_Thrawn was silent for a while. He didn’t want to believe her words, so he sent his troopers out to go back to Lothal and search the house. He then left Mira in the cell and walked to the bridge to wait._

_It was a long wait, but Thrawn had enough patience to endure it. Soon, the shuttle had arrived back, and the stormtroopers entered the bridge._

_“Sir, this was all that was left inside the house,” one of them spoke before handing over something._

_Thrawn turned to take it, but when he brought it close enough for him to see, he felt his world stop and his heart sink to the pit of his stomach._

_The Loth-Cat toy. The other toy that Eli had made and sent to their boy._

_Thrawn easily spotted the blood, and he cringed at it. He sent it to a droid, telling it to scan the blood’s DNA. The said-droid had returned with a data-pad, and when he picked it up with his free hand to see the result, he nearly dropped the data-pad._

_It was confirmed. The blood belonged to a human who was HALF-CHISS._

_Thrawn felt his breath leave his body as he stared down at the screen. His hand was quivering, a lump on his throat preventing him from breathing as he gripped tightly to the data-pad to keep it from falling. He shut his eyes, letting a hiss escape him as he tried his hardest not to scream. He took a very, VERY DEEP breath and let it out as quietly as he could._

_“Captain Palleon,”_

_“Yes, Commodore?”_

_“Set course for Krownest,”_

_“Any particular reason, Sir?”_

_“Yes,” Thrawn tightened his grip on the Loth-Cat toy. “I have a delivery for Clan Wren…”_

_{END OF FLASHBACK}_

That day was Mira’s death day. Honestly, he should have kept her alive, so he could torture her until she died. Just leaving her in the cell to kill her slowly and painful was a satisfying thought in his mind, but he couldn’t look back to that now. It was all in the past.

But how did this boy get the Loth-cat toy from Krownest unless…

Thrawn set the toy down and grabbed his data-pad. He searched for information about the Lothal Rebels and quickly scrolled down to look for what he needed to see.

He would have honestly taken his time to investigate the matter, but he had not time. Sooner or later, someone (hopefully not Slavin. The captain was irritatingly annoying enough to piss him off again) would call him for help finish the operation.

Finally, he found the image of the Mandalorian, and his eyes set down on the name.

Sabine Wren.

“Mira’s niece…” Thrawn lowly growled, remembering what Mira had told him about the information she had gathered about her Wren family after she left Krownest. “So that is how the boy has the Loth-cat toy…”

“Grand Admiral?” Suddenly, his comm beeped. “We call for assistance,”

Thrawn sighed, setting down the data-pad.

This investigation really did have to wait until he was off of Ryloth.

He stood up and gathered the things back in the backpack then he headed out of his office. He gave the bag to a trooper to send to his ship before he went to the bridge.

**(A/N *En'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini means “baby boy”)**

X

“Start walking.” One of the stormtroopers pushed Rex and Hera forward towards the Ghost as Cham and Kanan walked off the ramp.

Cham immediately went to his daughter, setting his hands on her shoulders as his face was full of worry. Chopper rolled out of the house and ignored Slavin’s yell as he went towards the two Twi’leks. Hera gave her father a sad, reassuring smile. 

“I’m sorry, Father,” she said.

“It’s alright, Hera,” Cham assured her. “Even I’ve gotten captured myself once before,”

“No,” Hera gave a guilty look. “I’m sorry about the house,”

Cham was confused, so to prove her point, Hera turned to her droid to give her signal. Chopper beeped happily in reply before setting off the bombs, causing an explosion from inside the house and sending everyone down. Kanan was able to hold himself steady then he took out his lightsaber as Slavin picked himself up and commanded the troopers to fire. Hera helped her father up then they ran up the Ghost’s ramp with Chopper and Rex behind him. Kanan deflected the shots then he ran inside as the ramp slowly closed. Zeb was in the cockpit as he began to start up the engines, causing the Rebel freighter to hover from the house.

“Zeb, move!” Hera cried out as she ran in and took the steering to turn her ship around and up. “We’re getting out of here!”

She hovered up and zoomed off, far, far away from the operation and her now-destroyed house.

X

“They’re getting away!” Slavin scowled through the comm as Thrawn and the other officers watched the Rebel freighter escape.

“Don’t worry, Captain Slavin,” Thrawn reassured the man. “Let the Rebels have their victory, for it will be their last,”

With that, he turned and walked off to exit the place. He got into an Imperial shuttle and set course for the Chimera.

Now that the operation in Ryloth was done (in his point of view, at least), it was time for some investigation of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Man, hope this was longer than the last chapter. Hope Thrawn’s character was broadly described. Also, I would like to note down that there’s still some questions (shown and hidden) that need answers here, but I’ll let you guys try to figure them out. See ya next chapter! X3
> 
> Also, give an honest guess, who do you think who will realize the truth first? Ezra or Thrawn?


	14. Realizations And Tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Time for the big moment! XD I’m SO excited! Thrawn and Ezra time! *squeals*
> 
> A bit of a warning that there will be some heavy emotions in this like crying, abuse and kriff like that.

“WE NEED TO GET EZRA BACK!” Zeb scowled to the top of his lungs as he clawed the back of his head, growling in frustration. “THOSE BUCKET-HEADS KRIFFING CAPTURED HIM!”

“We know, Zeb, we know,” Hera tried to console him. “but he was sent pretty far. We would need to get back to Commander Sato and Ashoka to tell him the news before proceeding with a mission—“

“I DON’T GIVE A KRIFFING DAMN, HERA!” Zeb roared out. “WHAT IF THOSE DAMN IMPERIALS ARE TORTURING THE HELL OUT OF HIM?!”

“Calm down there,” Rex placed a hand on the Lasat’s shoulder. “It’s alright. He’ll be alright,”

“HOW THE KRIFFING HELL WOULD YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?!” Kanan joined in the argument, gritting his teeth at the clone. “MY PADAWAN IS CAPTURED, FOR FORCE’S SAKE!”

“With the Kalikori,” Cham added with a sigh. “Slavin took the Kalikori with the boy,”

“Actually, Father,” Hera bit her bottom lip, confronting the older Twi’lek. “Ezra had the Kalikori the whole time,”

A moment of silence followed after her words left her lips. Cham’s eyes widened in both shock and confusion.

“What do you… What do you mean, daughter?” He finally found his words as his eyebrows furrowed.

Hera didn’t reply. She just glanced over at Zeb, whose eyes widened as realization dumped over him like a bucket of water.

“That Kalikori…” the Lasat felt himself fall into a swirl of emotions at their Captain’s words. “EZRA’S Kalikori… that was YOUR family Kalikori, Hera…?”

“And you KNEW it the whole time?” Kanan was beyond shock, blinking at the female Twi’lek with wide eyes.

“Not EXACTLY the whole time…” Hera fiddled with her fingers before letting out a sigh. “Look, the moment I saw Ezra’s Kalikori, I knew that it looked familiar, but I thought it was just a coincidence. I didn’t know that our Kalikori and his Kalikori were the same until I didn’t find our Kalikori on the last place we left it,”

“That’s when you realized that the Kalikori that his father gave him was yours,” Kanan concluded, his expression still screaming in disbelief.

“His father?” Cham was now more confused than ever.

“Yes, his father,” Hera nodded. “It’s the same one who just gave an order to take him to his ship,”

“Wait, WHAT?!” Zeb’s eyes widened in bewilderment. “Are you… Are you saying that…”

“Yep,” Rex gave a nod. “We just faced Grand Admiral Mitth’raw’nuruodo,”

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo… is HIS FATHER?!” Cham’s jaw dropped. “AND HE HAS OUR KALIKORI?!”

“EZRA’S Kalikori,” Hera corrected.

“Well… that puts us at ease,” Kanan let out a sigh. “If Mitth’raw’nuruodo has Ezra, there’s a possibility he might not be in danger,”

“Kanan, his father thinks he’s dead,” Zeb opposed.

“There’s always hope,” Rex spoke in agreement.

“But we can’t be too careful,” Hera warned them.

“Don’t worry, Hera,” Kanan assured her. “My bond with him through the Force is still strong. I’ll be able to sense if something bad’s happening to him, and we’ll be there to get him out,”

“You better,” Zeb snarled, turning away to leave with a growl. “If Ezra doesn’t make it back here alive then all of you are dead to me.”

X

Ezra sat in a Detention Cell, his hands cuffed in front of him as he sat on the seat with his head low.

He had been transported to the blue man’s Star Destroyer an hour ago. He was met by an army of stormtroopers, plus the captain, much to his dismay, and was cuffed with restraints before he was thrown into a cell like a Loth-rat.

If he was honest, though, he was actually pretty lucky. He had left his lightsaber on Zeb’s bunk (he had a feeling he shouldn’t bring it), making him seem like a normal child or orphan that the Rebels picked up from the streets. He wouldn’t need to be interrogated badly or handed over to an Inquisitor (or in worse circumstances, Darth Vader) unless they already know and are just waiting for him to break.

‘Hopefully that’s not the case.’ Ezra shuddered in discomfort.

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, placing his elbows on his thighs and leaning his forehead on his cuffed hands with a sigh. He felt the Force surround him, deafening his ears as he felt another shuttle approach the Star Destroyer. The sound of the shuttle landing made him flinch, and when the ramp opened, it revealed the presence of a familiar blue alien…

He groaned. “Oh, Karabast.”

X

“Grand Admiral Thrawn,” Captain Palleon saluted the moment his superior was in front of him.

“Captain Palleon,” Thrawn nodded in acknowledgment. “I take it that the boy is under your custody?”

“Yes, sir, and he is guarded by two stormtroopers,”

“Good,” Thrawn gave another nod before turning to receive the backpack one of the stormtroopers were giving him. “I would like to interrogate him myself later, so make sure he does not escape,”

“At your command, Grand Admiral,” Palleon replied with a bow. “I will double the guards to make sure he does not escape,”

“Do as you please, but do not harm him. Yet,” Thrawn spoke before he took his leave.

He made his way to his office, shutting the door to give himself more privacy then he set the backpack down on his desk and sat down on his chair. He picked up his data-pad and proceeded to look closer at the information about the members of the Lothal Rebel Cell.

( **A/N I GOT THIS FROM SWR: REBEL JOURNAL BY EZRA BRIDGER, BUT IT’S A LITTLE MORE UPDATED)**

{ _CONFIDENTIAL_

_Memo 234-AY-4523_

_Updated Alert: REBEL ACTIVITY, OUTER RIM_

_The following are members of the Rebel Resistance and the Lothal Rebel Cell, considered armed and dangerous enemies of the Empire, prior to Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader. If encountered, capture with extreme prejudice.}_

Thrawn scrolled down, and the first person on the list was their captain; Captain Syndulla.

{ _Name: Hera Syndulla_

_Species: Twi’lek_

_Activity: Only daughter of Cham Syndulla. Pilot of the Lothal Rebels’ freighter ship, modified CEC VCX-100 light freighter. Captain of the Rebel Resistance. ARMED, DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.}_

Thrawn narrowed his eyes at Hera’s picture to analyze and memorize before heading to the next member.

{ _Name: Kanan Jarrus_

_Species: Human_

_Activity: Force-Sensitive, Jedi Knight, Padawan to Depa Bilaba. Leader of the Lothal Rebels’ freighter ship, modified CEC VCX-100 light freighter. ARMED, DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.}_

Thrawn looked down at Kanan’s picture and nodded with a surprised expression.

‘And to think that all the Jedi were already hunted and killed.’

He shook his head before scrolling down.

{ _Name: Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios_

_Species: Lasat_

_Activity: Captain of the High Honor Guard Of Lasan. Muscle of the Lothal Rebels’ freighter ship, modified CEC VCX-100 light freighter. ARMED, DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.}_

Thrawn raised an eyebrow at this.

‘First a Jedi and now a Lasat? I see these Rebels never cease to impress.’

He analyzed the picture before scrolling down. The face of the Mandalorian made his blood boil, but he had to hold himself together as he read over the information.

{ _Name: Sabine Wren_

_Species: Human, Mandalorian_

_Activity: Eldest and only Daughter of Countess Ursa Wren and Count Alrich Wren of Clan Wren. Skilled-Artist and Explosive Expert of the Lothal Rebels’ freighter ship, modified CEC VCX-100 light freighter. ARMED, DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.}_

‘Hopefully Clan Wren will be arrested and executed for their actions against the Empire.’ Thrawn had to bite down a hiss as he proceeded to scroll to the last member of the crew.

{ _Name: Ezra Bridger_

_Species: Human, Lothalian_

_Activity: Only son of Mira and Ephraim Bridger. Street Thief. Ex-Cadet as ‘Dev Morgan’. Force-Sensitive, Jedi Padawan to Kanan Jarrus. Youngest recruit of the Lothal Rebels’ freighter ship, modified CEC VCX-100 light freighter. ARMED, DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.}_

‘A Force-sensitive child?’ Thrawn narrowed his eyes at the information and the picture. ‘Explains why he is involved in this Rebellion.’

He scrolled back up to double-check the information then when he got back down, paused at the boy’s info.

{ _Only son of Mira and Ephraim Bridger}_

‘Why do those names seem… familiar…’ he hummed to himself, wondering where he had heard of those names before.

He scrolled up at Ezra’s picture and frowned.

The boy was wearing a cadet uniform, and he still had sapphire blue eyes and midnight blue hair. It needed to be updated, he mentally noted.

He stood up and set his data-pad down then he grabbed the backpack and took out the Loth-Cat toy. He caressed it in his hands with one thing in his mind.

He needed answers.

If this boy was from Lothal, why would he be so interested on taking the toy from Countess Ursa in Krownest? And why would Ursa even give the toy to him?

With those questions in-mind, he made his way out of his office, carrying the bag in one hand and the toy in the other.

X

“ _~Loth-cat, Loth-rat, Loth-wolf, run._

_Seal my fate, and all is done~”_

Ezra sung to himself, bored and absent-minded at the fact that he was beginning to make up songs. As he continued to sing, however, he started to speak in a language he didn’t know he knew.

( **A/N Cheuhn version of the first part of Milk and Cookies from Melanie Martinez)**

“ _~In'a, ba, Melatonin carcir vacosetahn tur vah_

_Cssah, vzo, en'tisan'sasi'at, won't vah lturah ch'at tusbi?~_

_“~Vzah, rar, ch'ah'm done bah hah_

_Rat, g'ev, hah's getting ch'itksoo, cseo k'ascah your eyes, buscah ch'at days~”_

As he sung, however, he failed to sense (and hear) footsteps coming his way.

“~Retan'cehah, little en'tisan'sasi'at, cssen'v your spoiled ch'atvah

Ch'ah'm freaking k'san'apo, bapun ch'eo prescription filled~

“~K’ir vah ch'acacah ch'eo cookies etah're made just tur vah

Ch'a little bit bah rovar, rab lots bah vacosetahn'an, too~”

Outside, Thrawn had told the stormtroopers to leave while he interrogated the prisoner. As soon as they left, he approached the cell to hear a familiar language being spoken. Or more specifically, SUNG.

“~Sen'br, sen'br, csact'i ch'at ch'pae rcin'i'ohn

Ooh, ch'eati k'ir vah ran'as ch'ah non?~

“~Can't tsan'ah hah anymore, bapun ch'at ch'at vah ch'at tet

Vin'cah vah ch'a totvin't veah vah ch'uscah mah ch'at k'en~”

The language alone made Thrawn tense up. The boy was from Lothal. How the HELL did he know Cheuhn?

The Chiss took a deep breath to calm himself before opening the cell.

Ezra stopped singing the moment he heard the cell door open. He looked up and narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.

“You.”

“Hello, Bridger,” Thrawn spoke as he went down into the cell, with the door sliding behind him.

“So you know me,” Ezra hissed, flinching at the last name he now despised. “and I know nothing about you. How strange,”

“Not too strange,” Thrawn stood in front of him, his hands on his back as he hid the backpack and the toy. “Information about your Rebel Cell had spread through High-Ranking Imperial Intelligence,”

“Like you?” Ezra raised an eyebrow. “Who are you, anyway?”

“I am Grand Admiral Thrawn,“ Thrawn answered. “I lead the 7th Fleet and was requested to aid Pryce to be rid of your Rebel Cell from the surface and skies of Lothal. Your Rebel Cell, I must admit, had taken a toll on Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader, as much as it disturbed my Emperor,”

“Well, we DID destroy Tarkin’s Star Destroyer,” Ezra proudly boasted with his usual cocky grin.

“It is not a achievement to be proud of, Bridger,” Thrawn knelt down and leaned closer, narrowing his eyes to analyze the boy. “It was already a surprise to me that a boy your age is involved in the Rebellion, but it amazed me to know that you are a Force-Sensitive child. A Jedi’s Padawan, even,”

Ezra’s eyes widened, but he returned the stare, his red eyes subconsciously glowing the same as the other’s. The two were in a staring contest (well, the blunette was actually glaring-ish) with both of them looking over at each other, analyzing and studying one another. As he did so, Ezra began to think about what the Chiss had said.

‘He said that he’s the one leading the 7th Fleet…’ he thought, his mind reeling as he narrowed his eyes. ‘and that Pryce had requested him to come… but I thought Father was leading the 7th Fleet…’

‘Those eyes…’ Thrawn, on the other hand, was also full of questions as he tried his hardest to study the boy, but there was something about him that made him difficult to analyze. ‘I… I have seen them and him before… but where…?’

They were both silent, neither of them moving away, or even flinching. They were too focused on their own thoughts, their own questions, their own analyzations, and their own theories (that were mostly FAR from true). The tension had built up in the atmosphere around them, but neither of the acknowledged it, both of them either too concentrated or too distracted speak out any concern.

After a while, however, Ezra decided to speak up.

“You’re the leader of the 7th Fleet?” He questioned without breaking eye contact.

“Yes, why? Do you have any concerns against it?” Thrawn equally glared down at the boy.

Ezra tensed up a bit at the admiral’s misinterpretation of his question, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he completely gave a glare.

“No, I don’t.” He spoke, a little careful to not have another misinterpretation that could lead to his death. “I just heard from resources that it was Mitth’raw’nuruodo who led the 7th Fleet,”

Thrawn held the urge to laugh at the other’s naiveness, or at least rub his eye ridges in irritation at what the blunette had just said. Was he serious? Did the boy NOT know who he was?

“He does lead the 7th Fleet,” The Chiss let out a quiet sigh. “I AM Mitth’raw’nuruodo. Thrawn is… my core name,”

Ezra’s eyes widened so much that they look like they were going to burst. He felt his breath leave his body, which suddenly froze in the spot as his mouth clamped shut. A lump of nervousness occupied and clogged his throat before he blinked and broke eye contact, turning his head away while he lost control of his breathing.

HE is Mitth’raw’nuruodo?! It all made sense now. The familiarity… the man’s stare… his voice… everything… it made SO much sense to him now. The man in front of him IS HIS FATHER.

Thrawn blinked in surprise the moment the boy broke eye contact. He was even more surprised when the other started hyperventilating.

Had he done something to make him nervous? He knew he was good at interrogating prisoners, but he never knew that he was THIS good.

He stood up and cleared his throat, causing the blunette to look up at with a wince.

“Bridger, I believe that you have taken this from Countess Ursa Wren,” he held out the Loth-Cat toy.

Ezra stared at it before looking up at the blue man with hurt eyes. Realization dawned upon him harder than he had anticipated.

His father thought he was dead.

“She… She gave it to me, actually…” his words choked on the sobs he refused to come out, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from breaking down.

“Quite a surprise,” Thrawn‘s voice came out cold and bitter as he kept the toy before the boy could reach out and take it from him. “I had told Ursa that this is strictly off-limits because it is… a sign of treachery… THE treachery… of her own sister…”

“I… I heard,” Ezra knew he was biting his lip while talking, but he didn’t concern himself much with the pain of his now-bleeding lip. “but she… she still gave it to me,”

“I see…” Thrawn then took out the bag with his other hand. “There are many things I found in here that do not belong to you. Tell me, Bridger, have you been scavenging the old home of Mira Wren in Lothal?”

“Yes, I have…” Ezra admitted. “But most of those things do belong to me!”

“I highly doubt that,” Thrawn scowled before turning away to leave.

Ezra just wanted the other to leave, but the urge to burst out and tell the admiral who he really was and what he was to him was strong, yet he fought against it and held himself back. Well, he held his body back from moving, but his lips refused to cooperate.

“Thrawn,”

“Hmm?” Thrawn stopped in his tracks, slightly tilting his head to glance back at him.

Ezra was frozen at his own call, but he managed to get himself together and stand up. After gathering up some courage, he made eye contact with the Chiss admiral.

“Your son isn’t dead.”

Thrawn narrowed his eyes at him. The topic about his son and his death was extremely private. No one in the Empire even knew he had a son, so how did this boy, this Rebel, this JEDI PADAWAN, know about him?

“He IS dead.”

“No, he isn’t,” Ezra shook his head, turning away to face the wall. “Even Countess Ursa knows… that he’s still alive…”

Thrawn was losing his temper now. His grip on the bag tightened as he tried to tone down his rage.

“Ursa’s sister Mira Wren had killed him 9 years ago.” he spoke sharply through his gritted teeth. “The toy and the blood was proof enough,”

“But you never found a body,” Ezra opposed, biting down on his still-bleeding lip. “How do you know that he’s dead if Mira never—“

“Burnt.” Thrawn hissed. “She burnt the body. Those were her last words before I had slain her.”

Ezra’s eyes widened, his breath stopping before he sighed, shaking his head. “She lied to you.”

“And you speak of the truth?” Thrawn turned to face the blunette with ruthless blood red eyes.

“…yes.” Ezra could practically taste his blood as he still kept biting. For some reason, the physical pain was soothing the inner turmoil and the tension pressuring down on him.

Things happened way too quickly after that. The next thing Ezra knew, there was a sudden pain on both of his sides as something heavy was thrown to him before he hit the wall. He fell with thud, groaning with a pain-filled hiss as he began to tremble.

“I have had enough of your lies.” Thrawn’s voice loomed over him, and Ezra weakly looked up to see the Chiss grab the bag from the ground. “Another word about my son, and you will not survive another 24 hours,”

Ezra looked down to avoid eye contact as the other turned and left. As soon as the admiral was gone, he let his acting down, and he burst into tears.

His father… His REAL father… He thought he was dead. His father thought he was dead. Thought he was a stranger, an ordinary boy, just some kid, that didn’t have a place in this war. He had only theorized that his real parents were told that he was dead, but now that it was confirmed, he didn’t know how much it was hurting him until he felt it through the hit.

Another frightening thought soon came to his mind.

His father had HIT him. Didn’t even recognize him and even threatened to kill him. Was this how he really was? Was he really this abusive?

Ezra shook his head at the toxic thought.

No. It was his fault on why Thrawn had hurt him. The man was sensitive about the topic regarding his ‘dead’ son, and Ezra had triggered it. He knew he shouldn’t have, but it felt wrong to just leave the Chiss fooled.

He placed a shaky hand on his side and pressed against it. He winced in pain.

Definitely a bruise.

He let his hand slither up to his lips then he took back his hand to see his fingers covered in blood. He sighed.

Maybe there was something as too much biting.

He slowly got up, quivering as he made his way to the seat. He sat down and struggled to grab something out of his pocket. Once he got it, he took them out to look.

It was the dolls. Thankfully, he had kept it in his pocket instead of his backpack, so even if his stuff was taken, they would still be with him. Among all the stuff he was given, this was the only thing that was precious to him.

He held it to his chest and teared up more and more. He had laid down in the middle of his cry and turned to face the wall.

‘Why should I cry, though?’ I nagging voice came from his mind. ‘This just proves how much Thrawn loves his son… home much he loves me. He loves me so much that my death is something very sensitive and sacred to him.’

His wrists were still cuffed, but he managed to hold onto the dolls with one hand and wipe his tears with the other, sniffling and choking his sobs. He looked over at the blue doll and gently stroked it’s hair.

“Father…” he called out, even if he knew that no one would answer. “Father, please… I’m here… I’m alive… please…”

Little did he know, his desperation was causing the Force to release his call into the air…

X

Thrawn had stomped to his office, the grip on the backpack tightening with his inner rage as he made his way to his desk and threw the bag down with a thud. He then went behind his desk and groaned, shutting his eyes and rubbing his eye ridges to slowly ease his anger.

“Calm yourself, Mitth’raw’nuruodo…” he told himself. “Calm yourself… Calm yourself…”

‘Father…’

Thrawn’s eyes widened as the voice echoed through the air and all around his mind. He looked around cautiously with his eyebrows furrowed, trying to find where the voice was coming from and who was speaking.

‘Father, please… ‘

Thrawn felt his heart thump faster and felt himself lose control of his breathing as he gripped tightly to his desk with one hand.

The voice was far too… familiar for his liking… but it couldn’t be… it just couldn’t be…

“No…” Thrawn’s mind was spinning, his whole body quivering before he slowly made his way to his chair. “It can’t be… You… She said that you were…”

‘I’m here… I’m alive… please…’

Thrawn snarled, gripping his head with both hands and hissing in pain and disbelief. “No… you can’t be… Mira… she… she killed you… she said she… she did… unless…”

Suddenly, his blood went cold, and the blood had drained from his face as he felt his heart sink.

Mira had lied about updating him and Eli about their son. She had betrayed him by speaking against the Empire with her husband. If she could stoop down that low then maybe… just maybe…

Thrawn quickly grabbed his data-pad and went to the information on Clan Wren. He pressed on Mira’s info and read it over.

{Name: Mira Wren

Species: Human, Mandalorian

Activity: Youngest Daughter of Ex-Countess Umami Wren and Younger Sister of Countess Ursa Wren of Clan Wren. Resident of Lothal. Wife of Ephraim Bridger. Executed for Speaking Against the Empire}

Thrawn lost his breath. He was so flabbergasted about the info that he was left speechless, nearly dropping the data-pad in his hand. His throat was clogged up with shock, no matter how much he forced himself to swallow it.

‘Wife of Ephraim Bridger…’ his mind was reeling and aching with thoughts. ‘Mira… She… She never told me who her husband was… Bridger… Wait…’

He scrolled through his data-pad as quickly as he could as he searched for the folder about the Jedi. He found Ephraim’s info and read it over.

{Name: Ephraim Bridger

Species: Human, Lothalian

Activity: Force-Sensitive, Jedi Knight, Padawan of Fido Animo. Resident of Lothal. Husband of Mira Wren. Executed for Speaking Against the Empire

Health Status (hospital-based): Infertile}

“He is infertile…” Thrawn dropped his data-pad on his desk and placed his hands on his face with disbelief. “No… That… That would mean… No…”

He started to the piece together, one by one, like a puzzle. The familiarity… the boy’s eyes… his hair… the language he sung… everything was starting to fit together. Soon, he had come up with one conclusion, the only conclusion that made sense;

Ezra IS HIS SON. The son that Mira had claimed that she killed. The son whom he thought was gone.

Thrawn thought back to their first meeting at Ryloth, and he felt a wave of nausea hit his head before it sunk to his stomach.

He had nearly SHOT and KILLED his own son. His blaster was set to kill. It could’ve killed Ezra if the Force didn’t tell him to move out of the way.

He then thought back to the interrogation earlier at the Ezra’s cell.

He had HURT his son. He had hurt him both physically and verbally; hitting him with his own bag, calling him a liar and even threatening to kill him.

Thrawn nearly threw up at that.

He had THREATENED to KILL his OWN SON. How could he do that?! What was he thinking on threatening to kill a child, let alone HIS child, out of rage and in-denial?!

That’s when a thought came to his head.

Ezra knew the truth. He had called out to him and had taken the hit (honestly, he swung too fast to even dodge), even if he knew the truth. He knew that he was his father the moment he had told him his full name. THAT was why he had suddenly blacked out and avoided eye contact; he had realized the truth.

Thrawn stood up and took out the Loth-Cat toy, caressing it gently with his fingers.

That was why Ursa gave him the toy, and why Ezra had all of those things. He was telling the truth the whole time; It all belonged to him.

It was then Thrawn realized that he had messed up. BIG time.

He hissed in frustration, gripping tightly to the toy before placing it in his pocket then he grabbed the bag from his desk and took his leave.

He needed to fix this mess. For his and Eli’s sake. And for the sake of their beloved son.

X

Ezra didn’t know how long he had been asleep, or even how he actually fell asleep. His eyes were sore with dry tears, and his side was throbbing with pain while the blood from lips had stained the seat he laid down on before it dried up.

He shakily got up to sit then he looked down to see both of the dolls still in his hands. He caught of a glimpse of the red imprints on his wrists and theorized that he was moving them in his sleep, either trying to get comfortable or trying to get loose.

Either way, they were starting to hurt, and he knew he would have to put some bacta on it when he gets to the med-bay. Well, IF he ever gets to the med-bay.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to get out of here…” he muttered to himself before getting a glimpse of the dolls, making him sigh and shake his head. “Ugh… but I don’t know if I SHOULD leave…”

He raised his wrists up and blew on them to ease the pain. He looked over at the markings and noticed that they were bleeding. He sighed and hissed in pain, biting down on his bottom lip again and causing his lips to bleed again. He can practically taste his blood, but it didn’t concern him as he closed his eyes and tried to relax himself by drinking his blood.

‘Breath in… Breathe out…’ he mentally told himself before slowly raising his legs, so he could sit in a meditative pose. ‘Breath, Ezra… Breathe…’

The Force pressed down against him as he meditated. He let it deafen his ears and surround his mind to ease it, feeling all of the nearby lifeforms from the troopers guarding his cell to the officers and the captain in the bridge. He could feel their mixed emotions of fear and concentration as they did what they were told. As he did, he soon felt a familiar presence trodding towards him.

‘Thrawn…’

The blue man was walking at a fast pace, the backpack and toy still in his custody as he had a swirling mix of emotions around him, mainly worry and guilt. There was another emotion in him that Ezra could strongly sense, but faintly recognize because of it being well-mixed with the alien’s guilt as he neared his cell.

Suddenly, the cell door slid open, and Ezra was brought out from his trance to look up and see his father standing in front of him, his posture still straightened as he gripped tightly to the bag.

Thrawn, on the other hand, had glanced down at the dolls in the boy’s hands and knew that the child in front of him is indeed his. He wanted to approach him and embrace him as much as he could, assure him that he was going to be okay, but he knew that doing that in the Detention Cell was too risky. Anyone could see them, and it won’t be a good picture for either of them.

He had no choice but to play the long cards and act his part as an Imperial Grand Admiral.

“Bridger, I will be taking you to my office for a more direct interrogation,” he spoke as he went down to face him.

Ezra looked down to avoid eye contact, but his lack of response was an advantage for Thrawn to slowly (and carefully) get him to stand up and lead him out of the cell. Four stormtroopers were by their sides the whole time as they walked through the halls, all the way to Thrawn’s office. Thrawn dismissed the troopers and led the blunette inside. He let the boy sit down on the chair in front of his desk before locking the door.

Ezra tensed up the moment he heard the lock on the door activate, but the Force reassured that it was alright. Everything was okay. He was safe. THRAWN was safe.

“Bridger,”

The blunette looked up to see Thrawn now standing beside him, a hand on his shoulder as he glanced up. Ezra was so confused and looked up to see the two active security cameras by the corners of the office. The grip on his shoulder on tightened, so he moved his head down before giving a small a small nod.

The cameras needed to be deactivated.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, letting the Force flow through him as he flicked one of his hands. Suddenly, there was a click, and the glow of both cameras went from green to red.

Thrawn let out a sigh of relief before letting go of the boy’s shoulder. He set the bag down on his desk then he turned to face the teen, his face with concern as the blunette still had his head down.

“Ezra,”

Ezra flinched when the other called to him using his actual name instead of his false last name. It felt odd (mostly because it felt like the formality was gone), but it was more comforting than he would’ve first thought. It gave him the strength to look up and face his father.

Thrawn noticed this and internally sighed in relief. He knelt down and held the boy’s hands in his, smiling at the warmth he felt in his heart to finally hold his boy after so long before he took out a tool and unlocked the restraints.

Ezra was taken back the moment he was released. The feeling of freedom was great, but the feeling of his father’s hands holding his own felt better, warmer, much more relieving. He gave the other’s hands a little squeeze, feeling himself beginning to tear, but he pushed in that verge and kept a straight face on.

Thrawn felt his son lightly squeeze his hands, and he looked up to see the boy showing a neutral expression. The Chiss sighed and revealed a small smile.

“Do not worry,” he spoke as gently and softly as he could as he carefully cupped the boy’s cheek. “I… I know the truth about you… my child…”

Ezra’s eyes widened with surprise and relief. He finally broke down, letting his tears fall as he dropped the dolls on his lap and placed his hands on tearful face.

Thrawn was immediately alert the moment the boy broke down into tears, triggering his paternal instincts. Soon, he was wrapping Ezra into a warm embrace before he could even stop himself.

The feeling of having his child in his arms and in his custody made him want to tear up himself. It had been nearly 16 years since he had last held and seen his son, and now that he had him in his arms, he felt like he could never let him go ever again.

Ezra was too focused in his tears to feel himself being wrapped in an embrace by the man until he found himself face to face with his father’s white suit. It only made him cry harder as he settled in the embrace, curling up and gripping tightly to the other’s shirt as if his life (or, more or less, his sanity) depended on it.

The two were like this for a while, neither of them wanting to let each other go as Ezra’s cries subsided into sobs. Soon, the boy’s uneven breaths calmed and evened out, causing Thrawn to smile with relief before slowly moving away. He felt the other tense when he moved, so he kept a hand on his son’s back to reassure him.

Ezra’s panic peeked when the warmth of the other’s embrace slowly left him, but it lessened when a reassuring hand was left on his back. He wiped the tears off his eyes and looked up at his father, his reddish-brown eyes shimmering, even in the dark.

“F-Father…” He tried to talk, but his words were reduced to stutters.

Thrawn’s heart melted at the word as he reached over and cupped his child’s cheek, wiping off the tear stains. “Yes, my boy. I’m here. I… I apologize for what I had done and for everything I had said to you…”

“I-It’s okay,” Ezra gave a small smile and a shaky chuckle. “E-Even I’m mad at all of the lies Mira had told me years ago…”

“A traitor, she is,” Thrawn hissed. “How could she let you suffer out in the streets after her capture?”

“Damn Mandalorian Pride,” Ezra gritted his teeth. “She was so proud of me being her child that she couldn’t give me up,”

“Indeed,” Thrawn nodded as he moved his hand to the blood on the boy’s lips. “What had happened…?”

“Bit down too hard,” Ezra shrugged. “I-It’s fine, really… it’s my wrists and my sides that hurt…”

Thrawn felt the guilt crawl back up his throat as he noticed the small cuts on his son’s wrist. He slowly pulled back and stood before he grabbed the medical kit from under his desk. He went back and knelt in front of the boy then he took out the bacta and placed some on his wrists.

Ezra hissed in pain the moment the bacta touched his skin, but he didn’t pull away since he knew he needed to have the cuts healed up.

“There,” Thrawn sighed and took back the bacta after wrapping the cuts up with some bandages. “How about your side? Is there a bruise?”

“Yeah, there is,” Ezra nodded then he pulled his shirt up.

Thrawn cringed the moment he saw the cuts and scars on his son’s abdomen, along with the two bluish-purple bruises on both sides. It made him feel guiltier at the fact that he and Eli weren’t there to raise and protect his boy from harm.

He let out a sigh and shook his head from his thoughts before using the bacta to heal up the bruises. He then grabbed some ointment and gently rubbed it on the bruises, pausing every time the boy winced in pain then he took out some bandages and wrapped it around his son’s abdomen.

“There,” he pulled Ezra’s shirt down and placed all the medical supplies back in the kit. “Anywhere else?”

“No, nowhere else,” Ezra shook his head with a smile. ‘Nowhere physical, anyway…’

“Good,” Thrawn nodded then he got up and placed back the medical kit.

As he did, Ezra had picked up the dolls and hugged them, feeling the aching pressure in his heart fade as he let out a breath of relief.

After all those years of being alone in the streets without a family, he had never felt so loved. Even with Mira and Ephraim taking care of him, he had never felt so much love and worry radiate off anyone as much as it radiated off of his biological father. It was so overwhelming but welcoming at the same time.

“I see that you adore the dolls?” Ezra blinked, snapping out of his thoughts as he glanced up to see Thrawn moving to sit beside him.

The Chiss gave a him a smile, in which he returned with smile of his own before he nodded. “Y-Yeah, I… I do. I can’t even sleep without these with me,”

“Eli would be glad to hear that from you,” Thrawn wrapped an arm around him and moved closer. “He had given effort to make those for you,”

“Mother made these?” Ezra’s eyes lit up with surprise as he stroked each of the dolls’ hair. “No wonder they’re so nice,”

Thrawn’s smile stretched a bit at what the boy called his husband. He knew Eli was going to squeal and cheer to hear that he had found their son and that he was still alive, but on the downside, it would be difficult to explain to Eli everything if he didn’t know the whole story. Whether he liked it or not, and whether Ezra would be comfortable with the questions or not, he needed to ask.

“Ezra…” he began, taking a deep breath to warn the boy that he was about to ask something that may be sensitive.

“Yes…?” Ezra glanced up and felt himself tense at the tone of voice that his father was using.

“Would it be so… discomforting… to ask about your life… during and after your stay with Mira and her husband Ephraim?”

Ezra’s heart sank at the question, his eyes widening as he felt his childhood memories come swirling down. From his lenses to his hair and all the lies and secrets, he didn’t know where to begin, or even if he should begin.

Thrawn noticed his son’s reaction, and it broke his heart to see his child in so much distress all at once. He set his free hand on the boy’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze to call back his attention.

“You do not have to answer,” he reassured him. “I just… your male mother Eli needs a background about what Mira and Ephraim had done to you and what had happened to you after they were executed. He… He is worried sick as much as I am, Ezra, and we… we want to know if there was anything that they did to you, but if you are not comfortable with discussing the topic then it is fine,”

Ezra blinked at him, his tears already rolling down his cheeks without his consent, and before he knew it, he had attacked his father with his own embrace, quietly sobbing onto the man’s chest.

Thrawn was caught off-guard by the second break-down, but he didn’t mind it and returned the hug. He brought his son over on his lap and wrapped his arms around him, letting the boy tear as he gave him as much comfort as he could give.

Finally, the blunette reluctantly pulled away, wiping the tears from his eyes and face.

“I… I’m sorry…” he spoke through his sniffles. “It’s just… I… my childhood was never the best for me…”

“What happened?” Thrawn urged, now worried at what his child told him. “What did they to you?”

Ezra hesitated for a while, but after a few cleansing breaths, his breathing slowed, and his heart became light again. He took another deep breath before speaking up again.

“When… When I was 2, Mira forced me to wear a pair of sapphire lenses, so that my eyes could match hers and Ephraim’s. She told me that I had to wear them all the time, even through sleeping. I… I couldn’t do anything to take them off, so I just left them alone, no matter how irritating they were to sleep in. Th-Then, when I was 4, Mira and Ephraim tried to dye my hair black, s-so I could match Ephraim’s, b-but instead, it mixed and just turned my hair midnight blue. They… They left it like that, so it may seem more natural than my sapphire blue hair,”

“And they did not think of the pain you were going through?” Thrawn growled in disbelief. Now, he REALLY wished that he had kept Mira alive to torture her slowly, little by little until she died.

“They… They didn’t even bother,” Ezra sighed. “And I’m sure Ephraim was using the Force to distract me whenever I asked them to remove my lenses or un-dye my hair,”

‘Eli will NOT be happy to hear about our son’s life with Mira…’Thrawn shuddered, thinking of his husband’s reaction when or if he told him about Ezra’s life as Mira and Ephraim’s child.

“Th-Then after they were arrested,” Ezra went on. “I… I had no choice but to survive in the streets. I… I had to steal food and make my own shelter for 8 years. The only time I stopped was when I met the Ghost Crew, or the ones you call the ‘Lothal Rebels’, just last year,”

“So, they have saved you from your misery?” Thrawn felt relief wash over his anger as he internally thanked the rebels for taking his son in at desperate times.

“Yes, they did,” Ezra nodded. “They… They took me in when no one else wanted me. They became my family. A big and strange one, but family nonetheless, but…” Ezra’s smile faded as he looked down. “despite everything they’ve done for me, like removing my lenses and fixing my hair, I… I still wanted a real family. I wanted my real parents and to be a normal kid. I… I know I’m asking for too much, but…”

“No,” Thrawn shook his head before hugging the boy. “You are not asking for too much. You are asking the life you deserve, not the life you were forced to go through. This… This is all my fault,”

Ezra wasn’t surprised by the confession, but he surely didn’t blame his father for what happened to his childhood. He knew that there was a reason on why he was given up, and he was determined to find out why.

“I… I’m sure that it’s not all your fault, Father…” he spoke as he gently pulled away. “I… I know that there’s a reason on why you gave me up. Wait, is there?”

“Yes, there is,” Thrawn sighed before he leaned back on the chair to begin his tale. “It was many years ago. Your male mother Eli and I had met in the Imperial Academy in Coruscant when I had been exiled from our home-world, Csilla. He had first been my aid, translating my words of Cheuhn and Sy-Bisti and teaching me all the human things like the Basic language and the protocols around the Empire. In those years, I had started to fall for him, and he had begun to reciprocate my feelings, so we started to be together, but we had to as be discreet as possible,”

“Is it because Coruscant doesn’t accept homosexuals and inter-species relationships?” Ezra questioned.

“Yes, so we had to hide our relationship,” Thrawn gave a nod. “Thankfully, we both shared the same room, so none of our fellow cadets could notice our closeness. It was during a long term break when we decided to have a union and consummate our love. When we returned to classes, that was when Eli realized that he had been feeling sick. By two months, Eli’s abdomen was swelling, and his sickness became unbearable, so we rushed to the med-bay to find out that he was pregnant… with you, a healthy baby boy,”

“Are Chiss pregnancies different from human pregnancies?” Ezra asked, tilting his head in question.

“Yes, Chiss Pregnancies only last up to 6 months,” Thrawn replied before continuing. “When we found out that you were on your way soon, we went on a temporary one-weak leave and headed to the nearest Outer Rim planet; Lothal. We stayed at an inn, with a welcoming innkeeper to guide us, and we went to the National Hospital of Lothal to check Eli’s pregnancy. It was a surprise to know that due to the fact that I was a Chiss and Eli was a Human, his pregnancy would only last three months, due to his age and body weight, so we had no choice but to stay in Lothal for another month,”

”Was it… difficult?”

“Truly, yes. I had to constantly return to Coruscant after our leave was finished, so I may excuse Eli from lessons. I had become fluent in Basic, so it was not difficult for me to go on without Eli, but many of our fellow cadets were getting quite suspicious. I could barely make excuses any longer. Thankfully, Eli’s labor had come a week early, and I fled Coruscant to make sure you and him were alright. When I made it to the hospital, Eli was holding you in his arms, and I had never felt so happy,”

“But… But if you were happy to have me, why did you give me up to Mira?” Ezra’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“We… We had no choice,” Thrawn sighed, shaking his head. “Time was passing quickly, and it was soon nearing our graduation. Eli could not skip classes no longer in fear of getting executed for treachery. We could not take you with us either, for the risk of you being taken by the Empire because you are a hybrid was too high for us to take,”

“Hybrids are being… taken by the Empire?”

“Yes, they are,” Thrawn visibly shuddered. “My cousin is a hybrid herself, and the Empire forcibly took her to be their weaponized soldier. Eli and I did not want to risk having you being a weaponized soldier as well, so we had no choice but to give you away. By chance, I had met Mira in the market place. She was a different person in the past. She was trustworthy and a noble warrior,”

“Well, she WAS,” Ezra growled.

“Yes, she WAS,” Thrawn nodded in agreement. “After she had told me that her husband was infertile, we had made an arrangement to meet up to hand you over. She had promised to update us as frequently as she could…”

“But she never did,” Ezra hissed.

“And it became the biggest regret we had ever made,” Thrawn was internally breaking, but he couldn’t break down. Not now. “Eli was crying hard, even when we had returned to Coruscant. Seeing his tears did not settle well for me, so I had suggested for him to make and send you gifts. His mood had switched back to normal once he had taken my advice, and we both ranked up little by little, as high as we could, but when he had reached Commander and I had reached Commodore… that was when things began to crumble…”

“Because Mira told you that I was dead…?” Ezra guessed, even if he already knew that he was guessing right.

“…yes.” Thrawn let out a shaky breath, looking down. “I could barely accept what she had told me, and when I told Eli, he broke down into rage and tears. He had nearly lost sanity and completely lost focus in his work that I had no choice but to contact Csilla, so I may send him there for recovery,”

“But… weren’t you exiled?”

“I WAS. I had explained to my superior, Admiral Ar’alani everything that had happened during my time in exile. She had discussed it with the Council of the Chiss Ascendancy, and they had chosen to obliterate my punishment. They allowed Eli in Csilla, with my family there to greet him and welcome him with open arms. It was the only way for him to recover from the loss…”

“But, Father,” Ezra placed a hand on the blue man’s shoulder. “how about you? Did… you recover?”

Thrawn looked down at the boy with furrowed eyebrows. He knew he was about to break down himself, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to seem weak in front of his own child, but a light squeeze from the blunette made him feel vulnerable. Soon, he had his hands on his face with tears streaming down from his eyes.

Ezra was surprised to see his newfound father break down. Before he could think even twice, he wrapped his arms around the blue man.

Thrawn was caught off-guard when two slim arms embraced him. Only Eli had ever hugged him this close before, whenever either of them were in distress.

Ezra was just like Eli; he knew the best way to comfort him.

In no time, the Chiss had returned the embrace and pulled the boy closer to him.

“My recovery did not matter,” he finally answered in a whisper. “With you gone, I felt like the only purpose I had was to represent my planet to the Empire. For the sake of my people,”

Ezra frowned, curling up to bury himself in the other’s arms. Neither of them moved away nor did they talk, both of them too busy comforting each other.

Soon, Thrawn felt the boy’s weight press down against him, and he glanced down to see Ezra dozing off in his arms.

‘I am sure he is weary after such a long day…’ the Chiss allowed a smile to crawl up his face before standing up to carry the boy. ‘I cannot take him to my room. Too risky to be spotted. I would have to take him to the spare room next to my training room…’

He grabbed his son’s backpack with his free hand and unlocked his office door then he turned through the halls and headed to his training room. He entered it and went straight to the other door on the other side of the room. He opened it to reveal a small room with a small bed and a short desk beside it. He set Ezra down on the bed and placed the blanket over him then he placed the bag on the desk before kneeling down to gently brush the small bangs on his son’s forehead.

“Now that I have you back, I promise that I will never let you go,” he whispered, pressing a small kiss on the boy’s forehead. “and I will make sure that no one will hurt you. I promise,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Phew! That was a long chapter, but Thrawn and Ezra bonding is just beginning! XD


	15. Worries, Suspicions And Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Yay! More Thrawn and Ezra bonding! I love this part of this story! X3 Also, this chapter is from Season 3 “Inside Man”, but to note that the chapter is from Season 3, but this is still in Season 2, and Ashoka’s still here. As for Kallus— XD It’s for you guys to wait and see!
> 
> Also… HAVE I BEEN SPELLING AHSOKA WRONG THE WHOLE TIME?! Why no one’s been correcting me???

It had been a complete week since Ryloth, and Zeb wasn’t doing so well. He was always in his cabin, only coming out to get a snack or two before shutting himself back into despair.

Hera and Kanan were worried for the Lasat’s behavior. They tried prying him out, but all they got was either a snarl or a roar. Or worse, a threat. Kanan tried to reassure him that Ezra was fine, but the Honor Guard barely believed a word he said.

Hera had told Sato and Ahsoka the situation (with leaving out the fact that Thrawn was Ezra’s father to not alert Sato), and Ashoka had stated that they should first head to Lothal for a distress call from a fellow Rebel before they could do anything reckless, so she and Rex tagged along with the Ghost Crew on their ride to Lothal.

The moment they made it to Lothal, Hera caught a glance of the fleet of Star Destroyers hovering above the planet.

“Oh boy…” she bit her bottom lip before turning the steering, so she could pilot her freighter away from the fleet and closer to Lothal.

“WUP WUP WUP WUP WUP-WUP WUP?” Chopper questioned.

“It IS the 7th Fleet,” Hera nodded as she lowered the Ghost down to the planet’s surface. “If they’re here in Lothal then that means security’s going to be a little tighter than before. Better to be discreet, just in case,”

“WUP WUP-WUP WUP-WUP?”

“We’ll try to get him out of there soon, but for now, we need to go along with the mission in Lothal,”

“Are we almost there?” Hera turned to see Kanan enter the cockpit.

The Twi’lek chuckled. “Almost, Kanan. Think you and Rex could get Zeb out of his room this time?”

“With a little help from Ahsoka, I’m sure we can convince Zeb to leave for at least a bit,” Kanan shrugged as he sat on the co-pilot’s seat. “Did you contact Sabine about what happened?”

“I did, but she and her family are too busy with their plan for Mandalore, so she can’t come to help us,” Hera sighed, placing a hand on her head. “What are we going to do? I’m worried for Ezra,”

“He’s fine, Hera,” Kanan reassured her. “I check on his every day and night through our bond, remember?”

“But what if he’s just masking it, and he’s really in trouble?” Hera let out a breath of exasperation. “Who knows what they’re doing to him up there…”

“I wouldn’t think Thrawn would hurt him, mostly at the fact that Ezra left his lightsaber here with Zeb, so the Empire has got no proof that he’s Force-Sensitive,”

“Whatever you say…” Hera still wasn’t convinced, but she let it slide as she turned her attention back to where she was landing.

The Ghost sailed through the skies of Lothal, moving down and forward as they aimed to land at a camp that was a little far from Capital City. They landed between a couple of huge rocks then the ramp opened to reveal Ahsoka, with Kanan, Rex AND Chopper behind her, dragging a grumpy Zeb along. Ashoka approached one of the members of the camp with a smile.

“Ryder,”

“Commander Ahsoka Tano, if I’m not mistaken?” The older man, Ryder, returned the smile as he came over to greet her. “And you must be the Ghost Crew,”

“You know us?” Kanan raised an eyebrow.

“It’s almost too difficult to miss any of you through the Imperial radio,” the group turned to see a thinner old man laughing as he came forward to join them.

Zen recognized him immediately, causing his ears to perk up. “Wait, I know you. You’re a friend of Ezra’s parents. Mr. Sumar, right?”

“Yes, that’s me,” Mr Sumar gave a grin at the Lasat.

“At least you’re doing well since the Empire destroyed your farm,” Zeb spoke out. “Ezra and I saw the smoke from far away,”

“Ah, so you’re the one with Ezra in that Tie Fighter? Well, thank you for rescuing me and my family,” Mr Sumar shook the Honor Guard’s hand thankfully. “You have no idea how much it meant to us,”

“Wait, he and his family were the ones that you and Ezra rescued when you stole that Tie Fighter?” Kanan was amazed.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Zeb rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous smile.

“Where is Ezra Bridger, anyway?” Mr Sumar suddenly blurted out.

The four were in silence for a moment, not knowing what to reply or even say to the question. They all glanced at Ahsoka, and she sighed before clearing her throat and turning to Ryder.

“How about you tell us the situation first, Ryder?” she suggested.

“Of course, Commander,” Ryder nodded then he led the group to the meeting table.

As they followed, Kanan got a glance of Zeb looking down at the ground with guilt and worry, causing the Jedi to frown.

‘Now I really hope Ezra IS doing okay up there…’

X

Ezra had his hair tied up with a ponytail, and he had removed his jacket, leaving him with a brown sleeveless undershirt as he and Thrawn sparred with the Assassin Droids in the training room. Both were unarmed, but they were more than a match against the two droids. Thrawn himself was wearing a dark sleeveless undershirt as he sparred beside his son.

When they had started, Thrawn was actually surprised to know that Ezra could spar with no weapons. It was mostly because he assumed Ezra’s Jedi Master focused on lightsaber moves when sparring and that Mira wouldn’t even try training Ezra how to do hand-to-hand combat in fear of teaching him too much, but deep down, he knew that the boy had to learn something if he had survived 8 years in the streets.

They had sparred for about 2 hours until Ezra sensed a familiar someone coming, prompting him to stop.

“What is the matter?” Thrawn questioned the moment he saw the other pause.

“Captain Palleon’s at your door,” Ezra replied.

Thrawn gave a nod before turning to the droids. “Override Code: Rukh.”

The Assassin Droids immediately went stood stiff at the command before deactivating on the spot. Ezra grabbed the droids and returned them to their placement as Thrawn grabbed his white suit and placed it on.

“I will be down in Lothal for a few hours to check on one of the factories because of a reported sabotage,” Thrawn spoke as he adjusted the sleeves of his suit. “Do you need or want anything?”

“Maybe some Jogans,” Ezra replied with a shrug. “Or maybe a Meilooran, even if they don’t grow here…”

“I would prefer that you eat meat instead of just fruits,” Thrawn sighed, turning to the boy. “I will just have to get both, for your need and your want,”

“Fair enough,” Ezra giggled. “Anything that is not a ration pack is good enough for me, but I don’t think I can digest too much meat,”

“Of course, your stomach needs to adjust,” Thrawn nodded. “What do you eat with your Rebel friends?”

“We don’t have much credits, so whatever is in the fridge, I guess,” Ezra shrugged off the situation. “Mostly ration packs and blue milk. Space waffles would be a little rare, mostly for special occasions,”

“Better than just fruits,” Thrawn smiled and gave his son a quick hug before turning to leave. “If you need anything else, just call me through my comm, understood?”

“Loud and clear, Dad,” Ezra waved his father goodbye then once he was alone, he sighed and stretched up. “Phew! That sparring session was actually kinda hard. At least the Assassin Droids weren’t set to shoot us,”

He then turned and headed to his room then he grabbed a towel to wipe off his sweat. He noticed a pile of well-folded clothes on his bed and smiled. He got the first one on the pile; an orange jumpsuit with sky blue lines designs. He changed into the jumpsuit immediately then he set his sweaty clothes on the desk before laying down on his bed with a sigh.

For the whole week, during breaks, he and Thrawn had done nothing but bonded with each other. Thrawn had thought him the secret messages in every artistic piece, and Ezra shared more tales of his adventures in the streets. The stories made Thrawn catch a near-heart attack, so Ezra promised that most of the things he did were a one-time thing.

Well, most of them WERE a one-time thing. The rest of them were a casual routine, not that he’d say that out loud to his father. Thrawn might just lock him up in his room with a helmet and protective armor, and being locked in his room was the last thing he wanted.

Overall, he felt grateful that he was getting closer to his real father. Thrawn surely was different Ephraim. Unlike his adoptive father, his real father didn’t see him as a mistake or as someone that should be hidden. In fact, Thrawn seemed very open and would teach him things that a father would teach his child.

Ezra felt lucky, his mood beaming every time his father would come to him during break hours and his heart melting every time his father would embrace him. It was like a part of him was found and was returned to him, even if he had no idea that it was lost. With Thrawn, he felt at home, a home he never wanted to leave.

Suddenly, he thought of the Ghost Crew, mainly Zeb.

‘Poor Zeb.’ He hissed, frowning.

He knew how overprotective and loving the Lasat could be. He knew that his boyfriend was worried sick for him. Or worse, depressingly guilty for his ‘capture’, but he knew better than to leave his father’s ship.

There were two reasons he couldn’t just leave; 1, the Chimera was tight in security. Very, VERY tight. Getting out of Thrawn’s office was already going to be challenge. What else with going all the way to the lower hanger? 2, he couldn’t leave Thrawn. He had tried his hardest to find his real parents, and now that he had found one of them, he couldn’t just let him go.

The only thing he wished is that he should have brought his data-pad, so he could contact his crew (mainly Zeb or maybe Kanan) to reassure them that he was alright. He was okay.

He groaned and sighed before using the Force to grab his bag then he took out the dolls and Neko (the Loth-cat toy) and held it as close to his chest as possible.

Things were slowly falling into place. He just needed to be a little more patient. When the time comes, he’ll be able to meet up with his friends and boyfriend. He just needed to have patience.

X

When there was a reported sabotage in one of the Imperial factories, Thrawn knew that it was the work of a Rebel Sympathizer of Lothal, but he knew better than to point it out to Pryce or Tarkin (he would need proof of it, anyway) and he knew better than to share the situation to his son (Ezra was going to forbid him to go if he told him, much like what Eli would do if the matter was too dangerous for his liking), so he just kept quiet as he exited his shuttle. He was met by Agent Kallus and Governor Pryce before he was led to one of the main working bases.

As he was presented to the workers, he had noticed that some of the workers were masked. Two of them seemed to be tense while another seemed nervous.

‘Rebels or merely sympathizers?’ Thrawn wondered, but before he could further think about it, Kallus had finished his introduction, so he had to step forward to speak.

As he did, he had noticed that the two tense ‘workers’ had winced the moment he came close to them. He immediately knew that they weren’t whom they say they were, but he didn’t say anything about it, just to play around with them and see how long they would last. Instead, he approached the nervous worker and questioned on whether the speeder was a creation of his.

Of course, the worker approved, just as he predicted, so he told him to demonstrate the speeder. The worker was hesitant, and that’s when Thrawn knew that he was merely a Rebel Sympathizer, but he did not say a word as the worker approached the speeder and activated it.

As soon as the acceleration intensified, the bike began to malfunction, causing the worker to panic and tone down the acceleration. Thrawn shook his head, stating that the demonstration wasn’t over before taking out a data-pad to accelerate the speeder. He waited until the acceleration lit up in green before stopping.

If this was a Lothal Rebel Sympathizer then he knew better than to execute him in the spot. Ezra would be DEVASTATED if he were to find out. Hiding the truth from him would be a death sentence, and Thrawn knew this well enough (He had made that mistake with Eli TWICE, and he didn’t like the result). He just needed to make the speeder seem dangerous enough for the sympathizer to break out in confession. It would be an easy arrest, and Thrawn could bring him back for interrogation (and to see if Ezra knew him).

Alas, his plans weren’t going as smoothly as he expected. The moment he stopped accelerating the speeder, the acceleration suddenly peeked up to red.

Thrawn was caught off-guard and had to only give a glance back to see Pryce with a data-pad of her own, a vile and victorious grin on her face before she set down her pad. Thrawn looked down at his own pad to realize that she had locked him out of the system. He bit his lip to keep himself from scowling as he kept his data-pad and held his head up with a straight face on.

In a moment of seconds, the speeder bike exploded, leaving the worker into the mercy of death.

‘Ezra’s never going to like this…’ Thrawn bit down a hiss at the thought of his son screaming and breaking down when the news would reach his ears.

At the corner of his eyes, he spotted the tense workers now trembling with rage, their hands folded into fists while they forced themselves still. He himself was trying to stay still and was trying to keep his hand from grabbing his blaster and removing Pryce from an existence that he doubt she deserved.

Why did she always have to ruin his plans and stick her nose in places she didn’t belong?

She irritated him gravely, but he couldn’t let that irritation show as he, Pryce and Kallus exited the base. Once they were a bit far from the workers’ ear-shot, he gave a glare to the woman.

“You had interposed the demonstration, Governor Pryce.” He spoke, letting out the scowl he had been holding in for so long, so badly.

Pryce was taken back by the accusation before regaining her posture. “Your pad must have had a default. It was never propelled to the highest acceleration, and it was already clear that the worker had rigged the speeder, so it was best for him to be executed,”

“But you had assumed that I was going to execute the worker,” Thrawn knew this conversation was going to go on and on, and it was either him proving his point or her proving hers, and honestly, he wasn’t seeing the point that she was trying so hard to prove. “The demonstration was to prove that he indeed rigged the speeder, so we may arrest him and interrogate him for any Rebel knowledge. Not only are we down a worker for the factory, but now, a known Rebel Sympathizer that could have been interrogated is in ashes, along with any knowledge he had of the Rebels. That is the reason why you and so many others can never find a good lead to the Lothal Rebel Cell. You are all too focused on instant execution on a traitor that all of you miss the opportunities that are given to you,”

He then came to a brief halt and tilted his head back to glance at her with mild death glare. “And your assumptions and decisions of ‘what is best’ for the factory and the fitting punishment for the Rebels would doom us all. I would suggest that you stop assuming my plans, or you will have to personally explain our failure to Grand Moff Tarkin, Lord Vader, and of course, to our Emperor.”

“Our… Emperor…?!” Pryce’s eyes widened in horror as she visibly gulped in fear.

Failure was one thing she made sure she never had, and Thrawn knew it all too well, especially if it regarded facing their Emperor with such situations. They had overheard what had happened to Commandant Aresko, Taskmaster Grint and Minister Tua after discussing their failures with Grand Moff Tarkin, and things did not end well. Pryce was determined to not end her fate the same way.

Kallus watched her shrivel up behind Thrawn with amusement. Pryce was a difficult person to corner. Seeing Thrawn corner her to wall of defeat was a miracle.

Thrawn noticed the agent’s amused and slightly raised an eyebrow at it. He had read over Kallus’s information before he arrived in Lothal, and it stated that he was as ruthless as Pryce when it came to catching the Rebels. Seeing the man’s reaction to the speeder exploding, however, was something odd and was definitely something he had to look into later on.

For now, there were more important things to take care of, like the Rebels in the factory.

X

Kanan barely had time to hold Rex back as they watched Thrawn, Pryce and Kallus leave after the speeder exploded, killing Sumar.

“How COULD he do that?!” the clone scowled.

“It’s not Thrawn,” Kanan shook his head. “I can sense it. He was just as shocked as us,”

“He didn’t look shocked,” Rex growled.

“Would you if you were suppose your reputation’s at stake?”

“Eh,” Rex shrugged. “Fair enough, but if it wasn’t him then who?”

“Either Governor Pryce or Agent Kallus,” Kanan then looked back to see the workers lining up. “Uh oh. We have to scram. Now,”

“You might be right,” Rex nodded as he saw the Imperial officers checking the identification of each worker. “Let’s go,”

The two then fled from the base and into Imperial HQ. They knocked out two stormtroopers and ‘borrowed’ their armor before meeting up with Chopper and running all over the place to find Sector A2 for the secret weapons data they needed.

X

The Rebels had to be that predictable.

Thrawn knew that the information about the secret weapons data being in sector A2 had slipped out from his own tongue, but he didn’t expect the Rebels to take the bait so easily.

After requesting crates of Jogans, Meiloorans and meat from the local market, and after leaving Pryce in charge of hiring more ‘trustworthy’ workers for the factory, Thrawn had retreated to his office in Lothal. He looked through the security cameras to see the Rebels running through the halls with the false Imperial droid.

Of course the Rebels would break in without studying the building. How predictable.

‘It would not be a surprise if they were to get caught because of their foolishness…’

As if right on cue, a group of troopers caught them, and the Rebels were fleeing as soon as the droid came out to meet them. Thrawn let out a sigh, pinching the ridge of his nose as he shook his head.

How did his son even survive with Rebels like these?

Suddenly, there was beeping of his comm, and Thrawn turned to see it coming from the Chimera. He held his breath and pressed the button to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dad,” Ezra’s voice rang through the other side. “How’s the factory sabotage?”

Thrawn was hesitant to answer, but he knew that if his son was anything like him, he would investigate to find the truth sooner or later. It was much easier if he just answered the question and get things over with.

“A Rebel Sympathizer was the cost of the sabotage,” he answered.

There was silence from the other side, and Thrawn was afraid that the news frightened his boy. Finally, after a few minutes, Ezra spoke up again.

“…who was the sympathizer?”

“I am currently searching for his information,” Thrawn assured him.

“Are there any more Rebels in there?”

“Two Rebels are roaming the facility as we speak. Unknown if they are part of your Rebel Cell or another Rebel Cell,”

“Any reason why they might be there?”

“Most likely for the secret weapons data in sector A2,” Thrawn sighed. “A droid came along with them just as they were caught, but I trust their survival instincts as Rebels to not get captured so easily,”

“Well, we usually don’t get captured,” The hint of humor at the end of the comm relieved the Chiss, knowing the boy was calmer than earlier. “Did you say a droid? I only know one droid daring enough to disguise as an Imperial droid, and it’s our droid Chopper. Was it a C1?”

“Yes, it was,”

“Then it’s definitely Chopper. Were the two Rebels wearing stormtrooper disguises?”

“Your crew, I presume?”

“Most likely Kanan and Rex. What kind of plans are they looking for?”

“I will check what plans had been stolen from sector A2,” Thrawn picked up his data-pad, but he already knew what plans were at the sector; the new Tie Fighters with shields.

“…Dad, you already know what the plans are.” A hiss from the other side made Thrawn shudder. Ezra sounded much like him when he was pissed. “What are the plans?”

‘No use of lying.’ Thrawn sometimes wished that his boy didn’t get his sharp mind and Eli’s temper. It wasn’t a good combination for him at situations like this. “You are right. I do know the plans. The plans are for stronger, better Tie Fighters,”

“You mean, YOU are planning to build Ties Fighters with shields?” Man, was Ezra getting better at reading through the lines of words. Thrawn would have to make a mental note of his quick progress.

“It is an old project,” Thrawn spoke. “It was intended to strengthen our Tie Fighter pilots,”

“…why now?” Ezra questioned. “We blew up so many Ties in the past and even stolen one before getting rid of it. Why are the plans active now?”

Thrawn held his breath, hesitating. He had never explained the reason for the plans to anyone, not even to Eli, who was raging every time Thrawn had shrugged him off when it came to the plans.

If not now then it was better to tell him later. In person.

“When I finish my job here at the factory, I shall go back to you to explain. I promise,”

Ezra‘s sigh mixed with his groan before speaking. “Fine. See ya, Dad,”

With that, the comm was turned off, and Thrawn sighed in relief, setting his data-pad down before turning to look at the security cameras to find the Rebels again.

To his surprise, Agent Kallus came out of the lift with the Rebels and the droid as the two placed their helmets on. Kallus seemed to whisper something to him (most likely a plan, if Thrawn had to guess) before they made their way to a comm port.

Thrawn narrowed his eyes at this. An ISB agent helping out two Rebels that he had fought in the past? That surely was something interesting, and it was definitely something he had to look up later…

X

As soon as the comm went off, Ezra scowled, clawing his hair in annoyance.

If there was one thing he hated most in the world, it was people hiding secrets from him. ESPECIALLY when the person hiding secrets from him was someone he was close to.

He stomped out of his father’s office and into the training room. He removed his shirt and placed on a sky blue sleeveless undershirt.

If there was one thing his father had thought him, it was that rage was better tampered through sparring. That was the reason why Thrawn had his own sparring room right next to his office.

Ezra activated the Assassin Droids again then he stood in the middle of the room and went on his fighting position as the droids came forward.

X

Thrawn watched as the Rebels found a way to access their comms. He was amused to see Kallus working so hard to keep his cover up, extending to even letting one of the Rebels force-push him into a glass screen, causing it to shatter.

‘A mole in the system?’ Thrawn raised an eyebrow at the thought before realizing that he too was betraying the Empire by keeping Ezra alive in the Chimera.

But for obvious reasons, he doesn’t feel guilty about it. Instead, he focused back to Kallus and realized that he needed the agent to get Ezra out of Imperial Space and into the safety of the Unknown Regions, away from the Empire, away from the war, and especially away from Pryce.

He then heard footsteps approaching, so he got up and looked up at the Phoenix symbol on the wall that he requested to remove and place in his office in Lothal just in time for the door to slide open to reveal the vile woman herself.

“It appears that they have found an unexpected ally,” he spoke after her rant of complains, still maintaining his attention to the bird mural. “or perhaps, an expected one,”

“I… I don’t follow,” Pryce gave him a confused look.

Of course she didn’t. Heck, no one but Ezra (and sometimes Eli) could understand what he spoke, and it irritated him, causing him to wonder how in the galaxies have they survived this long in the Empire.

Thrawn shook his head and looked out through the window. “Let us play their games,”

A comm call alerted them of more Rebels coming from the outside. Thrawn called out to deploy the walkers, so Pryce and the rest of the facility could focus on the chaos outside and away from the two Rebels trying to leave through a walker from the hanger. Two huge AT-DPs came out to attack the two Rebel-controlled speeders. When a late walker emerged a little while later, Pryce narrowed her eyes at it.

Thrawn inwardly winced. Pryce was a proud and an egotistic woman, but she was no idiot, unlike Slavin. She knew how to observe her enemies well, and she knew how to fight and ‘interrogate’, a.k.a kill her enemies on the spot, just like what happened to the Rebel Sympathizer earlier.

Thrawn kept himself still, but the urge to take out his blaster and shoot her was very, VERY strong. Unfortunately, he couldn’t let himself act out of emotion, or his cover would be blown, and Ezra might get discovered and executed himself. For now, he had to play the long game.

“Strange, I had expected more walkers to be released,” he spoke as he tried to get Pryce away from the battle “Most of them must have been labeled defective,”

The sooner he got the Rebels out of his hair, the less bloodshed there will be, the less he had to explain to his son.

“True, but a late dysfunctional walker? I have a different theory,” Pryce smirked as she went to Thrawn’s desk and pressed his comm on. “Attention troopers, disregard the speeders and destroy that late walker. It is under rebel control,”

“Understood, Governor,”

Thrawn bit down a hiss, glaring daggers at the woman as he watched one of the AT-DPs making it’s way over the walker, preparing to crush them.

“And how did you assume that they are under rebel control without consulting proof?” he questioned with an unconscious snarl.

Pryce tensed at the snarl hidden in the question before she moved aside for the grand admiral to advanced forward and confront her. Thrawn was known for being straightforward and calm, but there are occasions Pryce had seen him mad, and let’s just say, she did NOT want to be the one to receive his wrath.

“It… It is quite obvious, really,” she spoke, TRYING to defend herself. Emphasize on the word ‘try’. “Why else would there be a late defective walker—“

“I had sent a direct order to release as much walkers as possible to attack the speeders, and thanks to a mere hunch, we may have lost one of the more stable walkers we have. Not to mention risking our limited amount of troopers because of an assumption that has no proof whatsoever. I had told you to never make assumptions that would risk more than you are capable of replacing.” Thrawn’s blood red eyes glowed in the darkness as they loomed over at the woman, livid and cold. “Even if that walker was under rebel control, you are still forgetting that they may be more useful to us alive than dead because of the knowledge they possess. Even more so if the Rebel we capture are the wanted Jedi Masters. Your longing for the death of the Lothal Rebels will doom others in other planets because of your irrational thinking and planning, so it would be better for everyone if you pull yourself together before you doom yourself.”

“W… With all do respect, Grand Admiral, it seems to me that you are DEFENDING the Rebels,” Pryce made a bold move to ask, something she knew she would regret later on, but his words sounded a little… suspicious… to her. “Grand Moff Tarkin requested your fleet to assist on the Rebels’ capture and execution,”

“True, but Grand Moff Tarkin also wants us to interrogate the Rebels before execution,” Thrawn replied, turning away from the Governor. “Not to mention Lord Vader and my Emperor requests for the Jedi to be taken to them immediately.”

“I… I suppose.” Pryce narrowed her eyes at the his back with a feeling of suspicion deep in her gut.

Suddenly, the comm beeped with a call from the Chimera. Thrawn froze up.

‘Ezra has terrible timing…’

“A call? From Captain Palleon?” Pryce leaned over to see the call.

“It is for me to check. Alone.” Thrawn sternly said. “You are dismissed, Governor Pryce.”

Pryce was taken back by the abrupt dismissal. She let out a growl before turning to leave, dragging her feet behind her as the door slid shut. Once he was sure that she was out of ear-shot, he pressed the button to answer the call.

“Dad?!” Ezra’s voice was full of worry as it echoed through the speaker. “What’s happening down there? I could sense a small explosion from up here,”

“Everything is alright,” Thrawn responded to reassure him. “Your Rebel friends, however, are causing a daring stunt outside of the factory. Though I am certain that they will make it out alive, I am concerned that this attack will cause security to tighten around Lothal,”

“Okay… but are YOU alright?”

“I am well,” Thrawn smiled at how much the boy cared for his well-being as much as his friends’ condition. “The explosion came from outside. My office here in Lothal has a great view of the battle, but it is far enough to not get involved,”

“Do you need any help—“

“No, Ezra. Stay in your room until I return. I do not want you getting involved in this as much as I am getting myself involved already.”

A sigh came through call. “Okay, okay. I’ll stay put, but please be careful,”

“Of course,” Thrawn then hung up and looked out of the window to see smoke coming from the battle field, but he managed to spot the two Rebels and the droid escape onto the speeders, allowing him to sigh in relief.

This just had to be another eventful day…

X

The comm call was cut off, and Ezra slumped back onto his father’s chair, worried as he shivered, even in the new gold-and-red jumpsuit he was wearing.

He could sense Kanan and Rex from the battle field, and it was clear that they were alive. He could sense Thrawn too, but he was more worried at the fact that his father might get caught having relations with him than being alive since he knew Thrawn was more than capable to take care of himself.

Ezra himself have never met Governor Pryce, but from what Thrawn had told him, she was a vile woman that was ready to execute Rebels and traitors. It made Ezra worry since he still remembered that Zare was still working undercover in the Empire to find his sister, partly helping the Rebels with some intel. If Pryce were to catch Zare or Thrawn, either of them would be executed for treason.

Ezra shuddered at the thought, shutting his eyes tightly. He had no idea what would happen if his friends and family were to be hurt, much less if they were to be executed. It was already hard to focus when Zeb was electrocuted by Kallus or when Kanan was captured by Tarkin and the Grand Inquisitor. It pained him to see them suffer. Thinking that his father would suffer the same fate gave him distress.

He realized too late that he was overthinking things. He opened his eyes to see most of his father’s things levitating through the Force. This caused him to panic, but the more he did, the harder it was for him to bring the stuff down.

He cursed under his breath. That day just couldn’t get any worse…

X

“Kanan! Rex! Chopper!” Hera sighed in relief, spotting them before running over to the speeder dashing towards them.

Ahsoka and Zeb ran behind her to meet up with their friends as the speeder came to a stop. Kanan was the first to hop off, removing his helmet then he went towards the Lasat with a sad look.

“He’s gone, Zeb. Sumar was executed on the spot,”

Zeb sighed, shaking his head. “Ezra’s not going to like this…”

“It was through Thrawn’s demonstration, but it was Pryce who set the acceleration up to make the rig speeder explode,” Rex groaned as he also removed his helmet.

“How do you know that?” Hera asked.

“I could sense Thrawn’s shock in the Force,” Kanan replied with a sigh. “And Agent Kallus just helped us to escape. Turns out HE is the other Fulcrum,”

“I know he is,” Ahsoka spoke up. “He had first called me to tell me that he wanted to defect from the Empire, yet he could be more useful if he was a Rebel Spy, so I handed over the secret code phrase and assigned him as Fulcrum,”

“But why?” Hera sounded suspicious. “Why would Kallus help us? He had spent so much time chasing us to capture. Why change now?”

“Something with Zeb telling him to ‘seek out answers to get them’, or something like that,” Rex shrugged.

“Oh, right,” Zeb chuckled. “On that Geonosian ice moon. I forgot that I managed to get through to that man. I just didn’t know if he made it out alive since the Empire wouldn’t care if any of their troopers or officers died,”

“Maybe, but we should still keep an eye on him, just in case he turns out to be an Imperial Spy himself,” Hera said, her voice switching into a Captain’s tone.

“What matters is that we got what we needed,” Kanan motioned Chopper over to them. “We got the plans, and Chop keeps complaining that they aren’t good,”

“Then let us see them,” Ahsoka nodded then the group gathered around as the droid showed the holographic plans.

X

“The Rebels have a mole,” Pryce smirked, the realization finally dawning upon her as she and Kallus were called into the grand admiral’s office.

Thrawn could face-palm at the spot if he could, but playing the part of an Imperial admiral had it’s cons.

He kept a straight face on as he noticed Kallus inwardly squirming. The agent himself was trying to keep his composure steady, the last thing that Thrawn needed to confirm his theory.

“We must interrogate all those in this facility!” Pryce suddenly demanded. “And all those suspicious MUST be ARRESTED AND EXECUTED!”

“Patience, Governor,” Thrawn assured her calmly. “Acting out of emotion will not serve us here. Besides, we would not have proof that a person would be telling the truth, even if we interrogate them. We must have patience,”

“But—“

“Patience, Governor.” Thrawn glanced down at her sharply. “You are dismissed, Governor Pryce.”

“Again?!” Pryce was raging now. She had always HATED it when someone, much less Thrawn, stops her plans. “But, Grand Admiral Thrawn—“

“You are DISMISSED, Pryce.” Thrawn repeated, gritting his teeth this time to keep himself from shouting. She was beginning to be a complete nuisance to him and his plans.

Pryce didn’t even tried to hide her snarl as she turned and stomped out. As soon as she was gone, Thrawn let out a sigh and turned to face the window.

“Agent Kallus, lock the door. What I am about to tell you is top secret and should not be heard by others.” he commanded.

Kallus was hesitant, but he knew he had to obey to his superior’s orders, so he obliged and locked the door. He went back in front of the admiral, still keeping his face straight as he narrowed his eyes at the blue man’s back.

“It seems that out mole’s identity is closer than one could guess,” Thrawn spoke.

Kallus swallowed. The grand admiral had been told as calm yet intelligent. If this was a strategy to get him out of hiding then it was working (unfortunately).

“Who… Who do you suspect it to be, Sir?”

“Quite obvious, Agent Kallus,” Thrawn swiveled around to eye the other man closely. “Such a mistake to not disable the security cameras, but I am sure YOU did not expect the cameras to be active, nor did you expect the Rebels to show up and cause trouble,”

Kallus tensed up. The blue man was smarter than he had expected, and he had expected him to be very, VERY intelligent. One of his hands reached back subconsciously for his bo-rifle, which Thrawn noticed immediately.

“Rest assure you, Agent Kallus, that your secret is safe with me,” he reassured, taking a step forward towards the man. “I will not reveal your identity to Pryce,”

“Then… why did you tell her the Rebels have a mole?” Kallus questioned, taking his hand back hesitantly.

“A mere distraction, so she could stop interfering with my plans,” Thrawn released the hiss he had been biting down.

“I am forbidden to share any Rebel secrets, under the orders of Commander Tano,” Kallus opposed.

“I do not want any of your Rebel secrets, Agent Kallus,” Thrawn consoled him. “I only request that your Fulcrum transmissions are to be moved from wherever they may be to my Star Destroyer, the Chimera,”

“Any specific reason why?” Kallus narrowed his eyes at the Chiss. “I am forbidden to move my post unless there is an understandable reason,”

“By orders of Commander Tano?” Thrawn raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, and of Commander Sato,”

“I see…” Thrawn gave a nod and turned away from the man. “Then I would like to have a word with your Rebel Commanders as soon as you transfer your post. I have one of their Rebel friends under custody, and I am sure Captain Syndulla would like to make sure he is still alive,”

“…who…?” Kallus was now studying the man with suspicion.

“The young boy of the Lothal Rebel Cell,”

Kallus’s eyes widened. He knew that the Lothal Rebel Cell valued their crew members like kyber crystals.

‘If the captain or the leader were to know if the boy was alive—‘

“What are you planning to exchange for the boy?”

Thrawn had to hold in a chuckle. Of course, the agent/Rebel Spy would ask such a thing. He truly was turning into a Rebel himself.

“Nothing. I only wish to be in contact with Captain Syndulla and Jarrus. You may go now, Agent Kallus,”

Kallus hesitantly took a step back before turning and unlocking the door. He left the office and walked through the halls then he headed down to the hanger, grabbed a speeder (a functional one) and dashed off.

Unbeknownst to him, Pryce had caught him leaving, and her suspicions had peeked up. She stormed back to Thrawn’s office and went straight inside.

“What was so important that you had to send out Agent Kallus but keep it from me?” She spat out.

“I tasked him to do a job that is suitable for an agent with ISB training,” Thrawn replied calmly, without even looking towards the woman as he passed her. “Your job is to govern Lothal and make sure that no Rebels are powerful enough to overthrow you, yet you focus on jobs that do not concern you. Sooner or later, you will be overpowered, so I recommend you to focus on your duties and leave the Rebels to me, Konstantine and Kallus. Besides, there is still a mole out here in the facility. Surely, you do not encourage the mole to overthrow you off your position?”

“No, I don’t.” Pryce was now glaring at the man with a growl. He was shrugging her off-topic, and she DESPISED him for it.

“Then go. I am sure that you have enough training and intelligence to find the mole and pry them off your hair, so this factory and all of Lothal may progress as you please,” Thrawn opened the door and walked out. “I will return to the Chimera to continue my research on those Lothal Rebels you complain so much about. Farewell, Governor Pryce,”

“Farewell, indeed.” Pryce bit her tongue in fury as she watched the man take his leave.

X

Kallus dashed his speeder through the field of Lothal. He headed straight to the abandoned comm tower, right past Capital City then he parked the speeder below it and climbed up the ladder. He entered the dark, messy, room and went towards his port. He activated the device, revealing the white symbol of Fulcrum.

“This is Fulcrum,” he spoke through the device. “I am requesting an audience with Commander Tano and Captain Syndulla,”

“Right here, Fulcrum,” Ahsoka’s voice rang through the speaker. “Captain Syndulla is right beside me. What do you need?”

“It is Grand Admiral Thrawn. He caught me as Fulcrum after your friends’ little stunt at the factory, but he told me that he will not exploit me if I move my post to his Star Destroyer. He wants to be in contact with Captain Syndulla and Jarrus, and he wants to have a word with you and Commander Sato, Commander Tano,”

“Does he have Ezra with him?!” Hera’s worry showed through her voice. “Is he alright?!”

“He does have the boy in his custody, but I’m uncertain if Bridger is alright,” Kallus sighed.

“I suggest that you move your post as he commands,” Ahsoka recommended. “We would all like to talk to Thrawn. I will report the change to Commander Sato,”

“As you command, Commander Tano. Fulcrum out.” Kallus hung up then he grabbed the device and placed it inside a small box crate.

He then carried it outside and set it on his speeder before getting on and dashing back to the factory.

X

“Has there been any changes, Captain Palleon?” Thrawn questioned as soon as he was met by the captain the moment he stepped foot out of his shuttle and into the Chimera’s lower hanger.

“No, sir. Nothing,” Palleon shook his head.

“Good,” Thrawn nodded. “Have the delivery of Meiloorans, Jogans and meat arrived?”

“Yes, Sir, and they’ve been transported to the kitchen,”

“Good,” Thrawn walked past the captain. “Oh, and please stand guard of the lower hanger. I am expecting Agent Kallus later today. Tell him to meet me in my office,”

“At your command, Grand Admiral,” Palleon gave a nod.

Thrawn headed through the halls and went to the Chimera kitchen. He took out a medium grey sack and placed in two Jogans, three Meiloorans and a plastic bag of newly-cooked kebabs. He tied the sack with a thin rope and tied it to his belt then he headed to his office. He told the trooper in front of his door to expect Agent Kallus before entering his office’s halls.

“Ezra?”

He went to the training room to see the Assassin Droids on the floor, sliced into bits and sparking in electricity. He winced, realizing that the boy had been angry at how easily he had dismissed the plans for the new Tie Fighters.

“But where could he be now…?”

CRASH!

Thrawn turned to hear a series of things falling on the ground and crashing (if not, breaking). The sound came from his office, so he ran out of his training room and into the office. His eyes widened to see the place a mess, with most of his artifacts on the ground. They weren’t broken, to his relief, but they were most likely scathed and fractured.

‘But how did they all fall…?’

Familiar sobbing was soon heard from behind his desk, and Thrawn cautiously moved closer to see Ezra on the ground, hugging his knees together as he trembled. Instincts kicked in, and Thrawn fell on his knees to embrace the boy.

“Shh, it is alright,” he soothed as he held the other tightly. “I am here,”

“D-Dad…?” Thrawn pulled away a bit to see Ezra looking up at him with tearful eyes. “I… I’m sorry… f-for the mess… th-the Droids… I…”

“No, it is alright,” Thrawn shook his head and held him close again. “It is alright. We will clean up later. For now, we will move to your room to talk. I assume that you are hungry after all that training?”

“Hmm-mm…” Ezra shyly nodded, avoiding eye contact.

Thrawn helped his son to stand then they left the main office and went to Ezra’s room. The blunette sat down on his bed while the Chiss sat on a nearby chair before handing the sack to the boy. Ezra took it gratefully and opened it, smiling as he took out a Meilooran and started munching. Thrawn took it as a sign to speak up.

“I apologize, Ezra, for dismissing the topic about the new Tie Fighter plans,” he began. “I have shared the plans only to a few officers that would help me with them, but I have never exposed it too broadly, not even to your mother Eli, and believe me, he had reacted just as harshly as you had when I dismiss the topic,”

Ezra listened attentively to his father’s explanation as he swallowed what he was chewing before speaking. “But then… why now? I’ve been seeing and causing series of Ties to explode for nearly a year. Why activate the plans now?”

Thrawn let out a sigh. He knew he was forbidden to to share this info since he had been entrusted to keep it by Emperor Palpatine, but he knew that it was too dangerous to keep. It would endanger his people, his family, his husband, his son and his son’s friends, and hurting his son both physically and mentally was something he never wanted to do.

“They are active, for I planned to distract my Emperor with his weapon,” Thrawn’s face grew stern. “He has been planning a weapon called ‘The Death Star’. It is created to have the power to destroy planets and moons, destroying civilizations. I disagreed with the planning of this… monstrosity, but I had been forbidden to stop it, so I planned to direct my Emperor’s focus to something more… useful to the Empire,”

“Is that why you‘re still with the Empire, Dad…?” Ezra’s eyebrows furrowed in worry. “You wanted to protect your home planet… OUR home planet Csilla… from the Empire and this… ‘Death Star’?”

Thrawn smiled and nodded. Ezra’s eyes slightly widened in response before he munched on the fruit in his hand and looked down at the floor.

“How… How could the Empire built such a thing…?”

“That was my same question,” Thrawn let out a groan. “Destroying planets will not gain the Empire any power, but I am sure that Emperor Palpatine is planning to destroy Rebel bases in each planet by simply destroying it,”

“That’s no excuse.” Ezra hissed. “Just because there Rebels on the planet doesn’t mean the whole planet is Rebel-infested.”

“I agree,” Thrawn nodded with a sigh. “I have not shared this with Eli yet in worry that he might do something irrational and confront the Emperor himself,”

“Does Mom get that angry?”

“Yes, and he had reacted worse many times before,” Thrawn chuckled. “His wrath is something never to be underestimated and is something I never want to face. When he focuses his mind on something, he will stay with it, no matter what,”

Ezra giggled and looked up at his father with a smile. Thrawn melted at his son’s smile; Ezra looked so much like Eli when he smiled. It was too heartwarming for him to handle.

There was a brief moment of silence between them, with Ezra munching on the leftover Jogans and Meiloorans then he started up on the kebab. He managed to finish one before he stood up and set the sack on the bed.

“I’m full. I‘ll clean the mess up in the training room and in your office,”

“You will clean the mess in the office, and I will fix the Assassin Droids,” Thrawn told him, standing up beside his son. “It will be safer, for there are too much electric wires to fix,”

“Okay, Dad,” Ezra nodded, and the two walked out of the room to clean up the messes.

X

“And where are you going, Agent Kallus?” Pryce scowled, glaring at the agent as he stopped in front of her before her eyes settled down at the small crate in his arms. “And what’s inside that box?”

“Top secret and requested by Grand Admiral Thrawn himself,” Kallus replied, trying to get past the Governor. “I am due at the Chimera, prior to his orders,”

“I am not aware that you were ordered to go to the Chimera,” Pryce narrowed her eyes at the man. “Maybe I should come along with you. I would like to have a word with Grand Admiral Thrawn myself,”

“You may request his audience at another time, but for now, it is urgent for ME to leave immediately,” Kallus finally found an opening and walked towards his shuttle.

He watched the governor huff and cross her arms, but he didn’t bother to acknowledge it. He kept on walking to ignore her, taking a deep breath to calm himself and his fast-beating, nervous heart.

“Pilot, I am expected at the Chimera,” he spoke to the trooper at the steering as he entered his shuttle, carrying the box in his arms before setting it down on the ground.

“Yes, Sir,” the pilot nodded and closed the ramp.

The shuttle hovered out of the hanger and into the sky. It soared high and left Lothal’s atmosphere, with the 7th Fleet in view. It approached the Chimera and flew down to the lower hanger. Once it landed, the ramp opened, and Kallus came out to meet the captain, the box still in his hands.

“Agent Kallus,” Palleon gave a salute to the ISB Agent. “Grand Admiral Thrawn has been expecting you in his office,”

“Understood. Thank you, Captain Palleon,” Kallus nodded before striding pass him and heading through the halls.

He found Thrawn’s office and prepared his cylinder pass. He handed it to the trooper, and the trooper told him that he was being expected by Thrawn, something Kallus already expected himself. As soon as he was in the office halls, and the door slid shut behind him, he sighed in relief and took a few steps forward.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn?”

“Ah, Agent Kallus,” Kallus nearly jumped at the voice before turning to see Thrawn appear and step out from the training room. “I have been expecting you. I assume Commander Tano approves of your post changing it’s position?”

“Yes, she did,” Kallus nodded, lifting the box to show. “Where should I set my post?”

“In my main office,” Thrawn motioned the man to the other door. “Come, I will assist on the set-up,”

The two walked forward, and the door slid open to reveal Ezra placing the last of his father’s artifacts up on the shelf.

“There. All clean,” he sighed in relief and turned around. He paused, however, when he saw the familiar ISB agent, his eyes widening in shock. “A… Agent Kallus?! What is HE doing here?!”

Kallus wasn’t surprised by the boy’s outburst, yet he jumped at it’s shocked and angry tone. Before he could say anything to defend himself, though, Thrawn came in between them.

“Do not be alarmed, Ezra,” he assured his son. “Agent Kallus is in our side. He is a Rebel Spy,”

“Kallus? A Rebel Spy?!” Ezra’s face showed disbelief. “Yeah, right!”

“I am,” Kallus’s face grew stern. “By the light of Lothal’s moons,”

Ezra was taken back. He had heard that code phrase before. Ahsoka has told him that there was a Rebel Spy in the Empire with the same code phrase, but he would never suspect Kallus, among all the officers, to be Fulcrum.

“Come, Agent Kallus,” Thrawn interrupted his son’s thoughts as he motioned to his desk. “Let us set up the device for your Fulcrum Transmissions,”

“Of course,” Kallus nodded and placed the crate on the desk before Thrawn came over to help set up.

As they did, Ezra watched them. He didn’t trust the older human one bit and was ready to knock him out if he did ANYTHING to him or his father. He would make sure of it.

“Kallus.”

“Hmm?” Kallus turned his head to the boy.

“…why?”

“Why… what?”

Ezra growled. “Why join the Rebellion? After all those times chasing us, why change sides?”

“Well…” Kallus sighed. “when your Lasat friend, Garazeb Orrelios, and I we’re stuck in that Geonosian ice moon, he managed to get through to me. It was a simple talk about what happened to the citizens of Geonosia, and he told me to seek the answers. Once I had returned to Admiral Konstantine’s Star Destroyer, I had begun taking Zeb’s advice. I kept seeking the answers I longed until I realized my mistake, and what he wanted me to truly see,”

“You were stranded on an ice moon for nearly a day, and Konstantine did not bother to know?” Thrawn scoffed as he finished setting up the machine. “I am not surprised. Konstantine is a political man that cares only for his image, not for the members of his own ship,”

“Well, I guess I could believe that,” Ezra sighed, his eyes and thoughts flying up to the clouds. “Zeb IS that thoughtful to see the good in everyone, even in someone as wicked as you, Kallus…”

Thrawn’s sharp ears caught and recognized the tone his son was using when describing the Lasat, and he glared at the boy with a growl, yet he bit his tongue and stopped himself from screaming his opinion. He had only heard that tone once, and it had come from Eli whenever he was talking about him (Thrawn) to their cadet mates.

’It seems Ezra had gotten Eli’s attraction to other species…’

“Well, I suppose it is thoughtful of him, but I am more thankful that Commander Tano and Commander Sato has given me a chance to prove myself through my Fulcrum transmissions,” Kallus shrugged, moving towards the device. “Speaking of Commander Tano, she, along with Captain Syndulla and Jarrus, requests to speak with you, Grand Admiral Thrawn,”

“I request to speak with them as well, along with that Lasat Zeb,” Thrawn spoke sternly, with a hint of overprotectiveness.

“DAD!” Ezra immediately caught on with what his father meant, and he snarled, his face reddening in embarrassment.

‘Dad…?!’ Kallus’s eyes widened at the outburst.

Thrawn’s expression was unfazed, but the small jump his feet had done revealed his surprise. Definitely not a good idea to piss Ezra off to limits. A mental note that he is determined to stick up sooner or later.

“I would like to envision it as a ‘Family Tradition’, Ezra,” The Chiss spoke, clearing his throat. “Your maternal grandfather had given me that kind of talk years ago before our union and proposal. It was not the most pleasant experience, but if this Zeb truly reciprocates your feelings for him then he will be brave enough to listen through it,”

“Well, since you went through it yourself, I guess it’s fine…” Ezra sighed, folding his arms with a frown. “I’d also like to talk to Zeb, anyway. I miss him…”

Kallus stared at the two, confusion and shock written all over his face as he activated the transmitter. He slowly turned away from them then he turned on the speaker, causing the Fulcrum symbol to appear again.

“Th… This is Fulcrum. Permission to speak with Commander Tano?”

“Permission granted, Fulcrum,” Ahsoka’s voice came through loud and clear, catching Thrawn and Ezra’s attention. “I am with the rest of the Ghost Crew,”

“Good because I have Grand Admiral Thrawn and Bridger with me,” Kallus spoke, and Ezra winced at his false last name. He really didn’t like it anymore.

“Ezra’s there?!” Hera’s worry could practically be heard bouncing off through the speaker. “Ezra?! Are you okay?!”

“Are you hurt?!” Kanan’s voice came next, the tone in his voice sounding equally worried as Hera’s. “Are you doing okay in there?!”

“And you said you check on him everyday,” Rex’s chuckle was heard, a little faint because of being in the background.

“I do, but I check his FORCE SIGNATURE, Rex! He could mask his well-being from his Force Signature!”

“Well, you never said that!”

‘And… there they go again…’ Ezra sighed in exasperation. If there’s one thing he didn’t miss, it was Kanan and Rex arguing like there was no tomorrow.

“Boys, BOYS!” Hera’s scolding made Kallus and Ezra jump. “Not the time for you two to rage at each other’s throats again! One more, and I will cuff you two together with Force-inhibitor restraints and lock you both in a closet!”

Silence soon appeared from the other end, and Kallus was worried for a moment that he had been disconnected, but a look from Ezra showed that he hadn’t and that it was only Kanan and Rex glaring at each other silently. A sigh from Ahsoka brought back life to the connection.

“Well, now that… little bickering… is over, Fulcrum, are you still there?”

“Yes, and still with Grand Admiral Thrawn and—“

“Ezra,” the blunette gave the agent a glare, warning him to NEVER call him by his false surname EVER again. “I’m right here, Ashoka. With Dad,”

“I then assume that he now knows the truth?”

“Yes, I do, Commander Tano,” Thrawn replied with a slight bow. “And I would like to thank Captain Syndulla and Jarrus for saving my boy from his misery in the streets,”

“Our honor, Grand Admiral.” Hera hissed at her words, clearly not trusting the Chiss, but Thrawn knew that he deserved that after their last encounter in Ryloth. “Before we talk, however, my crew and I would like to make sure Ezra’s okay.”

“Of course, Captain,” Thrawn motioned his son to come closer, which Ezra obliged to with a nod.

“Hey, Hera,” he said with a smile. “I’m fine, I’m not hurt, and I’m doing okay, thanks for asking,”

“Good, because SOMEONE has been DYING to speak with you…”

“EZRA!” Zeb’s voice screamed through the speaker, causing Kallus to wince and causing Thrawn to growl under his breath.

“ZEB!” Ezra sounded just as excited at hearing his boyfriend’s voice again. “I missed you SO much!”

“I miss you too, Ez! How are you?”

“I’m good. You?”

“Good. Better now that I can hear you,”

Ezra blushed, a sheepish smile on his face. “Aw, you’re so sweet!”

“You worried me, you know,” Zeb’s voice sounded as if he was choking in his own tears, which he was.

“Sorry, Zebby,” Ezra’s mood turned a little sad. “but I promised you that I’d be alive, and I’m still keeping that promise,”

As the two talked, Thrawn was trying his hardest to keep still and keep his mouth shut. He had suddenly realized why Eli’s father had been so overprotective of him before. It was REALLY hard to trust whom his child was dating, and it was REALLY going to bother him until he met Zeb and get to know him better. Until then, he wasn’t taking any chances, but he knew he couldn’t do anything now.

It made him recall the time he had met Eli’s parents. Mrs. Vanto welcomed him with warm and open arms. Mr. Vanto, however, didn’t even acknowledge him until after dinner. He had brought him out of the house and gave him a not-so-pleasant talk. It was more like a threat, if he were to recall. Eli had heard it and was so embarrassed and angry that the blood rushed all the way to the tip of his ears.

Thrawn didn’t want to embarrass Ezra like that, so it was better if he would talk to Zeb when the boy was asleep. At the moment, however, he would just let the two talk.

“Alright, alright, Zeb,” The sound of Hera pulling the Lasat away from the communicator was soon heard. “It’s nearly an hour. Kanan, Ahsoka and I still need to talk to Thrawn,”

“Aw…” Ezra was the one who complained, frowning.

“Hera…” Zeb’s grumbles to complain was loud, but the rest of his sentence were nothing but murmurs.

“Let the Lasat stay, Captain Syndulla,” Thrawn finally spoke up. “I would like to also have a word with him.”

“Dad…” Ezra glared at his father with eyes glowing red, even in the darkness.

“Really…?” The tone in Hera’s voice was full of amusement. “Alright then. Zeb, you can stay,”

“But, Ezra, it is your bedtime,” Thrawn sternly told his son.

“Dad, I don’t like what you’re planning…” Ezra groaned, rolling his eyes, but he turned around to leave anyway.

Kallus watched the boy leave before turning back to the Chiss. “I too must leave before Governor Pryce becomes too suspicious of my departure,”

“Of course,” Thrawn nodded. “You may go, Agent Kallus,”

Kallus signed off his identity before walking out, leaving the device active for the grand admiral as he left. As soon as he was alone, Thrawn sighed and turned back to the device.

“Captain Syndulla, Commander Tano, before we proceed to the talk that I had requested, I would like to confront your Lasat warrior with something,”

“Of course,” Hera let out a chuckle. “Zeb, Ezra’s father wants to talk to you,”

A gulp came from the Lasat, followed by the shuffling of heavy footsteps.

“O… Okay…” Zeb’s voice showed nervousness. “Um… h-hi, M-Mr… er, Grand Admiral M-Mitth’raw’nuruodo, Sir…”

Thrawn grinned at how badly his presence was affecting the warrior, even if they had never seen each other in person.

“Listen, Garazeb Orrelios.” he began with the same tone he used to intimidate his enemies as his facial expression turned solid. “I know that you have feelings for my boy and that Ezra reciprocates these feelings. I will trust you with him and his heart, but if you hurt him in any way possible, there is nowhere in this galaxy you can hide. Either I will hunt you down, slice your head off and hang it up on my wall as a trophy, or I will have you captured and tortured until your life ceases. You know well enough that Ezra had gone through a challenging childhood. I DO NOT want him to have his heart broken through his adolescence. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes, Sir,” Zeb let out another gulp. “I’ll take care of him. Lasat’s Honor.”

“Good. I’ll be looking forward to meeting you in person, then.” Thrawn nodded before moving on. “Captain Syndulla, Commander Tano, Jarrus, now we may proceed,”

“That’s news to me,” Hera huffed as she was heard pushing Zeb out of the way with Kanan.

“And what would you like to discuss with us, Grand Admiral?” Ahsoka questioned, stepping forward.

“It is about the secret weapon that the Emperor is planning to create,” Thrawn began, his tone balancing between worry and stern. “It is entitled the ‘Death Star’…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Finally! This chapter was a real challenge! And who else liked Thrawn being the overprotective father? XD


	16. To Plan An Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Welp, here’s another long chapter! (Hopefully)
> 
> And surprise! I’ve added some more problems for Ezra and Thrawn! ^^ Lol #ThisIsLife
> 
> *UPDATE: I changed Thrina’s full name to make it look more original! ^^

“Grand Moff Tarkin.”

“Governor Pryce.” The small holo-image of Tarkin glanced up at the raven-haired woman with irritation. “It is quite late. What is so urgent that it could not wait?”

“It is concerning Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Tarkin,” Pryce hissed, gritting her teeth. “He had been interfering with my plans and accusing me of making mistakes with my assumptions,”

“Let me guess, it has something about the Rebel attack in the Lothal Factory?”

“Yes, and the Rebel Sympathizer at the factory as well,” Pryce nodded.

“Did you interrogate the sympathizer? Did you capture any of the Rebels?”

“…no, I didn’t,” Pryce hesitantly shook her head. “I… Grand Admiral Thrawn had commanded the sympathizer to demonstrate the rigged speeder, and I… I had made sure that the sympathizer was to be punished for putting our troopers at risk,”

“So you have executed the Rebel Sympathizer?” Tarkin scoffed. “I can see why Thrawn had accused you of making mistakes. I recommend that you INTERROGATE your prisoners before a direct execution,”

“But Grand Tarkin, there’s something in his accusations towards me that doesn’t sound right,” Pryce reasoned out with a low growl. “And I am sure that there is something in his Star Destroyer that he is hiding. Someone had contacted him in the middle of the chaos, and when I had questioned if it was Captain Palleon, Grand Admiral Thrawn had dismissed me so abruptly.”

“Hmm, if what you are stating is correct then Thrawn might be holding traitorous plans,” Tarkin spoke with a frown. “An ISB Agent is more suitable for these kind of cases, so I suggest that you send Agent Kallus for an investigation,”

“I… I do not approve,” Pryce’s eyebrows furrowed. “It seems that whatever Grand Admiral Thrawn is hiding, Agent Kallus is in involved with it. He had been called to the Chimera two weeks ago with a crate in his arms, which had been requested by Grand Admiral Thrawn himself,”

“Investigating this kind of matter is not your position, Governor.” Tarkin sternly spoke. “And if Agent Kallus is involved in this treachery, I advise for you to send a trooper or two to be another witness,”

“Of course, Grand Tarkin,” Pryce nodded with a bow. “As you suggest,”

She then turned off the call and faced the window of her office. She took a deep breath to ease her mind from the stress then she got her data-pad and looked through the list of newly-promoted stormtroopers from the cadets of the Lothal Imperial Academy. She spotted the Top 3 ex-senior cadets/newly promoted junior stormtroopers and hummed in thoughts, an evil grin slowly stretching across her face.

She knew exactly what to do.

X

Irritated wouldn’t be the word he felt at the moment. There was irritation, but the feeling was mostly anger, annoyed, impatient, and a little hurt. It had been weeks since Thrawn had gotten a mission to take care of a group of Rebels in Lothal, and ever since his latest promotion from Admiral to Grand Admiral, he had gotten no contact from his Chiss husband.

Mitth’eli’vanto, core name Eli Vanto, was sitting in his and Thrawn’s bedroom with his arms folded, a cross look on his face as he stared down at his data-pad. He narrowed his eyes at it, a low growl escaping his lips as he waited for something, anything, to pop out. A call, a message or any sign at all to reassure him that Thrawn was fine, that he was ALIVE.

“Eli,”

A familiar voice interrupted his concentration, and he turned to see Admiral Ar’alani at the door, with Thrawn’s aunt, Mitth’rin’asuni, core name Thrina, standing behind her.

“Oh, greetings Admiral Ar’alani,” Eli spoke, his Wild Space accent thick and revealing as he bowed his head at the two superior Chiss. “Aunt Thrina,”

“Still trying to find an update on Thrawn, Eli?” Thrina smiled gently at her nephew-in-law, moving to sit beside him.

“It’s been weeks, Aunt Thrina,” Eli sighed, letting his arms fall by his sides. “What if he got into danger? Rebels can be very unpredictable, and Thrawn doesn’t have a lot of good fighters up there to help him,”

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo tucan'si himn'ah vatvo recklessness can ch'at ch'ap bah ch'a bicit, rab tah carcir en'catehan'co vim strategic rokes ch'at vacosehn out bah bin'tah'asi. [Mitth’raw’nuruodo might gain some recklessness in the middle of a battle, but he is intelligent and strategic enough to be out of danger.]” Ar’alani told the human in reassurance. “Ch'ah am sasco tah would nah let ren ch'ahn ch'uscehah csei easily. [I am sure he would not let himself killed that easily.]”

“Admiral Ar’alani is right,” Thrina agreed with a nod. “But since you’re worried so much, why don’t you contact him, Eli?”

“I’m afraid that I might call at a wrong time,” Eli frowned. “That’s the reason he’s the one who calls instead of me calling,”

“But he could not be in a battle that lasts weeks without a free time. Just try to call, Eli. It may just give him the surprise he deserves for not contacting you,”

“I… I guess…” Eli picked up his data-pad and took a deep breath. “But… I don’t know what I should say. Thrawn always talks first…”

“I am sure you’ll find the right words to say,” Thrina patted his head then she stood up. “Admiral Ar’alani and I are needed elsewhere. Contact me when you need help, alright?”

“Okay, thanks, Aunt Thrina,” Eli gave a small smile.

As soon as the door closed after the two left, Eli released a sigh and looked down at his data-pad again.

What would he say? How would Thrawn react to him calling? Would Thrawn be in the middle of battle while he called? What if he’s in the battle field, and he dies because of trying to answer his call?!

Eli shuddered at the thoughts. Okay, maybe he was overthinking things, but the scenes were still possible, right?

He took another deep breath and turned on his data-pad. He went through his contacts and paused the moment he saw his husband’s picture, his finger hovering over the ‘call’ button.

“It’s now or never.”

He swallowed the nervousness off his throat and pressed the button.

X

Agent Kallus wasn’t exactly surprised when he was called to Pryce’s Office, but he surely was nervous. He knew that the woman had been suspicious of him the moment he went to the Chimera two weeks ago to move his Fulcrum post, and he also knew that she was beginning to suspect something with Thrawn.

‘Calm yourself, Alexsandr…’ he told himself as he faced the door of Governor Pryce’s Office. ‘Breathe in… breathe out…’

He took a deep breath and let out a shaky one before entering the office.

“Ah, Agent Kallus,” Pryce turned around to face the man as soon as the door slid behind him. “You’re finally here. I have an assignment for you,”

“And what is it about, Governor?” Kallus asked, stepping forward to meet her gaze.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn has been acting quite suspicious and had been hiding something in his Star Destroyer,” she spat out venomously. “Grand Moff Tarkin had told me that these kind of matters are suitable for those with ISB Training and had advised me to assign you to do an investigation,”

“How soon should I leave?” Kallus was internally panicking now, but he needed to keep his composure. He needed to warn Thrawn and Ezra about this immediately.

“The sooner, the better,” Pryce replied solemnly. “You will be accompanied by three stormtroopers, and there is already a shuttle waiting for you. You are to return by the end of the day. Understood?”

“Understood, Governor Pryce,” Kallus gave a bow then he turned and left.

As soon as he was far from the office and near the hanger, he let out the sigh he had been holding in while a shiver had crawled down his spine.

In his mind, he was already formulating plans to warn Thrawn about Pryce’s suspicions and ditch the three stormtroopers, so they couldn’t hear them. He could leave one of them in front of the shuttle to guard and leave the rest of them at the door Thrawn’s office, but if Pryce had sent them, it would mean that they would do anything to know what’s going on.

He shuddered at the thought of what might happen if Pryce found out that Ezra was in the Chimera and was hiding in Thrawn’s office. She’d have all of them executed without hesitation.

He needed to find a way to warn Thrawn and Ezra and get rid of the troopers. He just needed to. For their sake.

X

“Hey, Dad,”

“Hmm?” Thrawn looked up from his work to see Ezra on the floor, playing with the dolls (the ones that looked like his parents) and Neko (his Loth-Cat toy).

“Have you… told Mom about me?”

Thrawn felt his heart stop while his body froze at the question. He knew Ezra was going to ask that question, and honestly, he didn’t know how to answer it. He had thought of how Eli would react to their son being alive and had planned to tell his husband after tucking Ezra in to sleep every night, but for some reason, he couldn’t.

There was that… fear and nervousness that got in his way. There were only two things that could happen; either Eli wouldn’t believe him and would accuse him for lying to him, or he would believe him and would be so excited that he will rush out of Csilla and travel to Lothal with no hesitation.

“Dad…?”

Ezra’s voice cut through his thoughts, causing him to turn back to the boy, who was now kneeling and holding onto his desk as he looked up at his father.

“Dad, you okay?”

“I… I am well, Ezra, yes,” Thrawn cleared his throat and looked away.

“Are you sure?” Ezra didn’t look convinced by the Chiss’s answer. “You don’t look okay,”

“I am. It is just…” Thrawn bit his bottom lip, hesitating before he gave a sigh. “No, Ezra. I have not spoken to Eli about you yet,”

“Why not?” Ezra frowned. He didn’t understand why his father would keep the news about him being alive a secret from his mother. He thought Thrawn cared for Eli’s mental health. Wouldn’t the news about him spruce up his mother’s health?

“Ezra…” Thrawn shook his head. “your mother is as emotional and as untrusting as you are. I am afraid that the news about you will either make him so happy that he will get himself in danger traveling here, or he will not believe me at all, and his trust in me will falter,”

“…oh,” Ezra slowly nodded, understanding dawning upon him as he moved away and returned to sit on the floor near the wall.

“But I do want to tell him,” Thrawn quickly added after seeing the sadness in his son’s eyes. “I just fear his reaction. When he acts out of emotion, Eli tends to be… quite reckless,”

“Well, we are related,” Ezra chuckled, his eyes glancing down at the human doll in one of his hands. “I just… I just wish I could meet him…”

As if on cue, a blinking light from Thrawn’s data-pad lit up. Thrawn saw this and picked up his pad to check who was calling. His eyes widened in shock to see who it was.

‘Eli…’

“Dad, who is it?” Ezra heard the call and looked up at the Chiss with curiosity.

“It’s… It’s Eli…” Thrawn let out a shaky breath. “Your mother…”

X

“Governor Pryce, ma’m,”

“Ah, good, the newly-promoted junior stormtroopers,” Pryce let a wicked smile stretch across her face as the three entered her office. “I have mission for you all. Which one of you is Leonis?”

“Right here, Ma’m,” Zare Leonis, the trooper in front with a yellow marking on his helmet, took a step forward with a salute.

“I am putting you in charge of your fellow troopers and make sure to keep an eye on Agent Kallus on your way to the Chimera,” Pryce’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “And do what you can to know what Grand Admiral Thrawn is hiding in his office. You have my permission for YOU to enter the office with Agent Kallus. He is forbidden to restrict you from entering. Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear, Governor Pryce, Ma’m,” Zare gave a nod with another salute.

“Good. Now go. Agent Kallus is waiting for you all in the hanger,”

“Yes, Governor Pryce, Ma’m,” the three simultaneously spoke with a bow.

“Excellent…” Pryce smirked in satisfaction as the troopers turned to leave.

As soon as they were out of this office and heading to the lift, the trooper behind Leonis with a green marking on his helmet gave their ‘leader’ a punch in the arm.

“Hey!” Leonis stopped in his tracks and turned to glare. “Oleg, stop that!”

“Just because you’re in charge of us, doesn’t mean you can boss us around, Leonis.” Nahzros Oleg hissed.

“Actually, he DOES have that right,” the other trooper commented.

“SHUT THE KRIFF UP, ROOKIE.” Oleg growled, causing the other trooper to tense up and back up against Leonis.

“Oleg, language,” Zare rolled his eyes at the older boy. “And please, can we NOT have a fight today? All you’ve been doing is fight me since our graduation…”

“I have my rights!” Oleg argued.

“Your ‘rights’ don’t include arguing with the head junior stormtrooper,” Zare pointed out as he stepped into the lift. “But if you don’t want to follow me in this mission then I can go by myself,”

“I’m with you, head junior stormtrooper Leonis,” the other trooper saluted before entering to stand behind him.

“Oleg, you coming in, ready to obey whatever I order you to do, or do you want to stay here and guard a room or two because you’re too much of a chicken to follow orders?” Zare challenged the last trooper with a smirk.

“Is that a challenge, Leonis?!” Oleg snarled, stomping towards the other with a glare from inside his helmet. “Because you know how I will NEVER back down from your damn ass challenges!”

‘Thank the galaxies for that.’ Zare snickered in his helmet as the door of the lift slid shut.

X

“It’s… Mommy?” Ezra stood up, gripping the dolls in his hands as he looked over at the data-pad.

Indeed, the picture of the brown-haired human showed in the screen. Thrawn looked as if he had seen a ghost as he stroked his fingers over his hair in attempt to fix it up.

“This is strange…” he muttered, even if Ezra could hear him. “He never calls first… He always waits for me to call… what if there is something wrong back in Csilla…? No, no, that cannot be… can it? Or maybe it is because I have not contacted him in a long while now…”

The boy looked down at his father with pity and worry, sensing his anxiety, nervousness and fear through their bond in the Force. He set a hand on his shoulder, causing the Chiss to look up at him.

“Dad, are you okay?”

“Barely…” Thrawn sighed as he broke eye contact with his son. “It is just… I have not contacted your mother since I have been assigned to Lothal to aid Pryce. I never got the free time until after the occupation in Ryloth, and even then, I have been spending my free time on you than Eli, so I am quite… afraid of how he’ll talk to me after all these weeks,”

“Maybe… you should finally tell Mom the truth,” Ezra gave him a gentle smile. “And I’ll be here… as your proof,”

“Even with you as my proof, his emotions of happiness will result to a reckless action,” Thrawn shook his head.

“Well, it’s still better than ignoring his call now,” Ezra shrugged. “He might worry more, and his worry might be another good reason come here,”

Thrawn pauses to think for a moment, looking down at the blinking call before he nodded in understanding. If he knew Eli well then he knew acting out of emotion was definitely something he was the best at, and it definitely didn’t have equally-great results.

“You’re right,” he sighed and hovered a finger over his data-pad. “It IS time to tell him,”

He took a deep, shaky breath then he pressed the button to answer. The screen changed switched from a grey screen to a bright blue room with a brown haired man at the end of the call who looked just as nervous as Thrawn. Ezra took a step back, a hand on his mouth as he let out a silent gasp.

‘M-Mom…?’

“Thrawn! Finally!” the man’s voice was mixed with joy, worry and relieved.

“Hello, Eli,” Thrawn tried to act as casual and as calm as he usually does. “My apologies for not calling, my love. I have been quite… busy here in Lothal. Pryce does not give much free time, so I cannot find the right time to contact you,”

“A text or a call ‘goodnight’ would have been fine.” Eli growled, his emotions switching up rage in seconds as he glared over at the Chiss. “HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT WITHOUT EVEN CONTACTING ME?! EXPLAIN, THRAWN!”

Ezra’s surprise turned into amusement as he choked his laughter and watched as his father stutter for a reply.

He had to admit, the other man sounded worse than Hera when she got mad at him, Zeb or Kanan. Enraged or furious would be the right word for it. He can sense it radiating off his mother, even if he was far away from him.

“E-Eli, calm yourself, please,” Thrawn soothes his husband as much as he could, but deep inside, he knew he was in trouble. “I intended to call you every night, believe me, but my attention had been redirected… elsewhere,”

“And what could be more important than reassuring me of your safety?!” Eli scowled. “I’ve been waiting for WEEKS, and I’m already imagining scenes of your death!”

“Eli, please,” Thrawn sighed. “Calm yourself and hear me out,”

A couple of grumbles and curses were heard on the other side of the call, making Ezra place his hands on his ears. Thrawn had done it to him plenty of times whenever Hera, Kanan or Rex swore through the Fulcrum Transmissions, and that’s when Ezra learned that his father wasn’t a fan of letting his ‘innocent ears’ hear curses.

“Fine.” Eli finally sighed, his voice calmer and free from rage. “What is it?”

“When I had volunteered to help with an occupation in Ryloth, I had apprehended the Lothal Rebels and their captain, Hera Syndulla,” Thrawn began. “The Rebels escaped, yet I managed to capture and contain the youngest of them, a teenage boy. While interrogating the boy, I had learned something about… Mira Wren and her family,”

The name itself turned Eli’s mood more sour than it already was. “What… about her and her… krayt spit of a family?”

A glance from Thrawn made Ezra cover his ears again at the cuss. On the bright side, Ezra was learning new curse words, but he knew that using them would lead to an angry Chiss.

“Her husband is Ephraim Bridger, a Jedi of the Republic,” Thrawn went on. “And they had hidden all the gifts we had given to our son in the blue and golden chest we gave them years ago,”

Eli flinched at the reminder of their son and his ‘death’. The tears came on it’s own, causing him to cover his tearful face with his hands.

Thrawn frowned at this. “Eli… please, calm yourself… you know that it aches me to see you cry like this…”

“Thrawn… our son…” Eli sniffled his tears, trying to wipe the flow of tears rolling down his cheeks. “I… I miss him so much… I… I want to SEE him… and EMBRACE him s-so badly… b-but… I… I know I can’t…”

“Do not be so sure, love,” Thrawn gave a small smile.

“Wh-What?” Eli’s eyebrows furrowed at his husband.

Thrawn turned to Ezra and motioned him towards the screen. Ezra took a deep breath and went over, so his image could be seen. Eli’s eyes widened as his chocolate brown eyes met the boy’s reddish-brown ones.

Familiar reddish-brown eyes…

“Eli,” Thrawn spoke up. “meet Ezra, our son,”

X

Kallus held his breath the moment he saw the three stormtroopers enter the hand her and approach him. They were junior troopers, sure, but if they were good enough to graduate from senior cadet to junior stormtroopers in less than a year then they should not be underestimated.

“Agent Kallus, Sir,” the troopers stopped in front of him with a salute.

“Troopers,” Kallus nodded in acknowledgment then he turned and entered the shuttle.

One of the troopers manned the steering wheel while the other two stood by Kallus’s side. The shuttle’s ramp shut before it slowly hovered up from the planet’s surface and into it’s sky. It went up into orbit and headed straight for the Chimera. As it did, Oleg took a seat beside his piloting comrade, leaving Zare with Kallus.

Zare was doing his hardest not to quiver as he stood beside the agent.

He had recalled his first direct encounter with the ISB agent. It had been when he had first met Dev Morgan, whom he later learned as Ezra Bridger. He had distracted Kallus, so Ezra could get the data he needed. In return, the blunette was constantly updating him with information about his sister Dhara Leonis. Even if he hadn’t found her yet, he was thankful that he had the some help from Ezra and the Ghost Crew to get some clues about where she might be. Kallus didn’t recognize him, thankfully, but that didn’t mean he should lower his guard.

Kallus, on the other hand, was trying not to squirm himself.

There were three stormtroopers too many in the shuttle, and that’s when he realized that he was playing the game Pryce was setting up, and she was using these junior troopers as her pawns.

‘That woman is sacrificing three CHILDREN just to prove her point and have me and Thrawn both executed…’

Kallus internally hissed at the thought.

If Thrawn were to find out, he’d have the troopers interrogated then (possibly) executed. Kallus would have to come up with an excuse to NOT execute them, something that he would need to take note of later on.

X

“Our… Our son…?” Eli’s voice had trailed off into an oblivion of inner thoughts and questions.

Ezra held his breath at the tone of his mother’s voice. It was the sound of disbelief and shock mixed together. He knew that the man didn’t believe (or even want to believe) that he was alive.

Thrawn also held his breath, awaiting for his husband’s next reaction. It was either good and happy or bad and angry. Either way, it was hard to handle any of his actions that always came with his emotions.

Time seemed frozen as neither of the three moved nor did they speak. Even the data-pad’s screen seemed frozen (even if it was active) with Eli’s bewildered face on the screen.

Finally, there was a sigh, and Eli’s wide eyes retracted.

“Thrawn… I…” he swallowed the lump of fear and guilt his throat as he hugged himself. “How are you sure…?”

“Eli…” Thrawn frowned, knowing that his husband was getting emotional again, but before he could say anything, Ezra came closer to the screen.

“Mom…” he spoke with a tone that was so desperate that it broke Eli’s heart. “I… I know that it hurts to know if I… if I’m alive since my… my…” The words couldn’t get out right, so he let out a sigh and took out the dolls with a small smile. “I really love these, Mom. They reminded me of you and Dad. And I… *Ch'ah ch'acah vah, ticsen'i,”

Eli’s eyes widened once more as he stared at the boy in surprise. Those eyes… That hair… The spoken language… it all came together like a forgotten puzzle. His heart melted, and realization dawned upon him,feeling his maternal instincts return as he let a smile escape him. He reached out a hand on the screen, a tear threatening to roll down his cheek.

*”Ch'ah ch'acah vah too, ch’eo en'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini,”

Ezra was going to break down all over again, the tears pricking the edge of his eyes as he reached out his own hand on the screen.

After so, SO long, he finally got to meet his mother, his REAL mother, the one who had been caring for him, even from far away. Sure, Hera was like a mother to him during his life with the Ghost Crew, but this was different. It FELT different. He felt so happy that he was balling his eyes out.

Thrawn smiled as he watched the two reunite. He felt so happy that both his husband and their son had seen each other.

Their family was complete. All they needed now was to get out of Imperial Space for a proper reunion.

( **A/N**

***Ch'ah ch'acah vah, ticsen'i - I love you, mother**

***Ch'ah ch'acah vah too, ch’eo en'tisan'sasi'at vn'ini - I love you too, my baby boy)**

X

The Imperial shuttle entered the lower hanger of the Chimera, and it landed on the surface with a thud. The ramp opened up, and Kallus exited with the troopers right behind him.

“You trooper,” He pointed to the one at the wheel. “stay here and guard the shuttle. You two,” He motioned to the other stormtroopers. “come with me to Grand Admiral Thrawn’s office,”

“Yes, Sir,” Zare and Oleg nodded with a salute then they followed the agent out of the hanger and into the halls of the Chimera.

The new environment made Zare tense and uncomfortable, but he managed to keep a straight face on as he held tightly to his blaster. Oleg noticed this and snickered in his helmet.

“This place too creepy for ya, Leonis?” the older boy whispered/mocked.

“Not THAT creepy for me, Oleg.” Zare hissed. “Now hush.”

Oleg rolled his eyes before continuing to walk in silence. The agent soon stopped in front of an office door with a trooper guarding it, prompting the two to stop behind him.

“Troopers, stay here,” Kallus ordered as he handed over his cylinder pass to the guarding stormtrooper.

“Actually, Sir,” Zare spoke up. “Governor Pryce had given me permission to enter Grand Admiral Thrawn’s office to assist you, and she insists that I enter along with you, Agent Kallus, Sir,”

“Of course she does…” Kallus grumbled under his breath, letting out a low, angry growl. “Understood, trooper, but you will stay outside of the main office,”

“Understood, Sir,” Zare was now curious of what was going on.

‘What are Agent Kallus and Grand Admiral Thrawn plotting in there…?’

Kallus cursed under his breath. He needed to lose this trooper soon, or else Pryce was going to find out their treachery.

The door slid open, and the agent entered with the trooper. Zare overheard a scowl from Oleg, but he ignored it and followed behind his superior. After the door closed behind them, they walked a couple of steps forward before Kallus held a hand out to stop him in his tracks.

“Wait here.” He sternly commanded.

“Yes, Sir,” Zare nodded then he watched as the door opened to let in Kallus, but as soon as the door slid shut again, he went near the wall and removed his helmet then he pressed his ear against the metal to listen.

It wasn’t Governor Pryce’s orders that was making him eavesdrop. Part of it was his curiosity, and another part of it was his promise.

If the Governor was suspicious of Agent Kallus and Grand Admiral Thrawn, and if the two were up to something then Zare might have found two more Rebel Spies or possible-Rebels in the Empire. He had sworn to Ezra that he would help any endangered Rebel in the Empire, and he intended to keep that promise.

X

“…and then Zeb’s confession was SO poetic that it was SUPER sweet and unusual and…”

Thrawn watched as Ezra went on and on and on, telling his mother everything that had happened in his life. The boy had started from his terrible childhood with Mira and Ephraim and on the streets, which made Eli so mad that Thrawn had to calm him down. After the man had calmed down, Ezra continued, starting with his life with the Ghost Crew.

“AW! I wish I was there to see it!” Eli giggled through the screen. “And when Thrawn met this Zeb guy, I bet he became an overprotective ass—“

“Eli. Language.” Thrawn hissed, pressing his hands quickly yet briefly on Ezra’s ears.

Eli blinked at his husband’s words before bursting out in laughter. “Oh, Thrawn. Ezra is almost 16,”

“Yes, and you had revealed many cuss words to me when you were 18,” Thrawn spoke with a stern expression. “an age that you had stated marks the manhood of a male. Until this debut, I prevent him from hearing any curse words from anyone, even from myself,”

“Alright, alright, sweetheart, whatever you say,” Eli chuckled, crossing his arms with a smirk then he turned back to the blunette. “But be honest, Thrawn gave Zeb ‘the talk’, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, he did,” Ezra sighed, sending his father a dark glare. “He sent me to bed then he gave Zeb ‘the talk’. I knew it since the next day, Zeb was too shaken up to talk, and when Dad came into the room, Zeb looked like he’d seen a ghost,”

“My father, your grandfather, Ezra, had done the same thing, and Thrawn looked like he was going to have nightmares for weeks!” Eli recalled with a laugh. “But if you’re going to ask for my opinion, I just want to meet this Zeb, so I can make sure he’s right enough for ya,”

“Eli, you cannot travel here to Lothal. It is too risky.” Thrawn opposed to the idea.

“Dad’s right, Mom,” Ezra nodded in agreement. “Security’s gone pretty tight in Lothal, and Governor Pryce doesn’t have the nicest welcome committee…”

“Pryce never had the ‘welcome’ aura around her, anyway,” Eli cackled before his smile faltered. “But what are YOU going to do, Ezra? If Pryce or Tarkin were ever to find out that you were hiding in there…”

“They won’t, as long as I keep Ezra hidden in the room behind the training room and keep Pryce off-track,” Thrawn reassured his husband. “For the moment, we are safe from Pryce and her vile ways,”

“Not so safe, I’m afraid,”

Thrawn and Ezra nearly jumped at the voice as they both turned to see the door slide open to reveal Kallus. He entered quickly and locked the door behind him, a worried expression on his face as he went towards them.

“Kallus?” Ezra peeled away from the screen and went towards the agent. “What’s going on—“

“Shh!” Kallus immediately shushed them, motioning them to lower their voices. “Not so loud. There is a trooper at the door, sent by Governor Pryce, and these walls are not built to hold in sound,”

Thrawn held his breath. He turned back to his data-pad to see Eli frozen with fear.

“Let me call you back, my love. I have things to sort out,” the Chiss spoke then he dismissed the call and turned to the agent. “We need to be rid of that trooper,”

“It is rather difficult,” Kallus hissed. “He is merely a junior trooper, and as a young man, he will fight and resist interrogation,”

“What are we going to do?” Ezra’s eyebrows furrowed, turning to his father as he questioned in a whisper.

Thrawn stared at the worry and fear in his son’s eyes. He let out a sigh and set his data-pad down.

“Bring him in.” He spoke, solemnly and stern. “As a junior trooper, he will listen to a person more superior than his superior, no matter what the consequences are,”

“Let us hope so,” Kallus swallowed then he turned and began to walk out.

“Dad,” Ezra looked up at the Chiss with a frown.

“We will get rid of this problem, do not worry,” Thrawn reassured him, a hand on his shoulder.

X

He knew that voice ANYWHERE. It was EZRA’S voice.

Zare felt a chill run down his spine at the fear that suddenly came. Why was Ezra here? How did he get here? What were they doing planning to do to him? The fear and worry bubbling in his guts began to mix, and it was making him tremble.

Oh, how he wished Kallus didn’t tell them to tone down. He could barely make out what any of them were speaking anymore, and it was making him anxious.

It took a couple of minutes until he heard footsteps moving towards him. He began to panic and place his helmet back on then he stood stiff, gripping tightly to his blaster just in time to see the door slide open.

Kallus exited the office and turned to him, making eye contact. Zare felt like he could shudder at how… threatening the agent’s eyes were as they stared down at him, but he managed to keep his composure.

“Trooper, Grand Admiral Thrawn requests of you,” Kallus spoke, biting down a hiss of uneasiness. “And I recommend that you do WHATEVER he tells you to do. For your life’s sake.”

“Understood, Sir,” Zare had to tell his fast-beating heart to slow down as he bowed his head.

“Good.” Kallus went behind the trooper and pushed him forward.

Zare almost walked off-balance because the surprising push, but he kept his posture steady to balance himself before proceeding to walk forward. The door slid open, and the sight of what, or WHO, was inside prompted him to stop in his tracks.

‘Ezra…’

“Trooper.” Thrawn had removed his hand from Ezra’s shoulder and had stepped forward to face him, snapping him from shock and replacing it with fear. “State your business here.”

Zare unconsciously tightened his grip on his blaster. Before he could answer, however, he caught a glance of Ezra but noticed something… different.

Ezra’s eyes were one of the first that caught his attention. The younger boy’s sapphire blue eyes had been replaced with reddish-brown ones; red in the light, brown in the darkness. Another that caught his attention is Ezra’s hair, which was now a lighter shade of blue and was a perfect contrast to the dim room. It was strange to see his friend looking so different, yet for some reason, it seemed to fit Ezra well, better than how he previously looked.

“Trooper.” The Grand Admiral’s voice brought him back to reality, causing him to turn back to the Chiss. “Answer my question.”

“O-Oh, right,” Zare cleared his throat, thankful that his new helmet could disguise his voice. “I… I was tasked to keep an eye on Agent Kallus and find out what you are hiding in the Chimera, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Sir,”

“By Governor Pryce, I assume?” Thrawn was now studying the trooper, and so was Ezra. There was something about the trooper that felt… familiar…

“Yes, Sir.” Zare stiffened when he felt Kallus move to stand behind him. He was cornered.

“I see…” Thrawn narrowed his eyes at the trooper.

Ezra did the same, looking at the older boy up and down for some kind of weak point. He looked back up and noticed the familiarity of his helmet. The yellow tinted on the white color was starting to trigger a memory in him, as if he had seen him before…

Suddenly, an idea came to him. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, raising his hand in front of the trooper before waving it.

Zare noticed this and was confused until he felt a vibrating tingle echoing in his ears and mind. He remembered Ezra doing this before to get the data disk from Kallus’s desk.

‘Damn Jedi thing…’

“You will drop your weapon and remove your helmet.” Ezra commanded.

With that, Zare felt his mind go blank and his body go numb. He couldn’t stop his next actions as he dropped his blaster and removed his helmet.

Ezra was dumbfounded the moment he saw who was underneath the bucket head. His jaw dropped, and his eyes widened, his concentration breaking as he took a step back.

“Zare…?!”

With the mind control broken, Zare found his mind again. He let out a gasp, a hand on his head as he blinked his eyes repeatedly in surprise.

“What. Was. THAT?!” He cried out.

“Sorry, Sorry!” Ezra’s shock turned into guilt when he realized the mind control’s unpleasant aftermath. “I just… your Force Signature felt so familiar that I thought… but I didn’t have prove so—“

“Force Signature?” Thrawn raised an eyebrow on his child’s claim. “Are you saying that he is force-sensitive, Ezra?”

“Well… no, not really…” Ezra sighed and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “You see… we all have those signatures, but Force-Sensitive people have a… stronger signature compared to others. But that’s not the problem now, is it?”

“No, I suppose it is not,” Thrawn nodded in understanding. “I assume that you know this boy?”

“Met him when I went undercover as a cadet,” Ezra grinned at the memory.

“Yeah, last year when you disguised yourself as Dev Morgan,” Zare smiled, his shock leaving and being replaced with relief. “I see that you haven’t changed much,”

“And I see that YOU have been promoted yet again,” Ezra chuckled.

“Not just me, and I’m not just talking about the promotion,” Zare frowned as he set down his helmet beside his blaster and crossed his arms. “What’s going on, Ezra? And what are you doing here?”

Ezra held his breath, briefly glancing at Thrawn then at Kallus before looking back at his old friend. He let out a sigh.

“Zare, I’m here because… Thrawn is my father. My biological and real father,”

Zare’s eyes widened so much that they looked like they were going to pop out of his face. He repeatedly glanced at the grand admiral and the blunette as the similarities of their appearance suddenly clicked into place.

“…oh,” Zare felt his breath leave him at the realization that dumped over him like an ocean’s tide. “Wow… I… now that I look it that way… I… I guess you two do look similar…”

“Yeah…” Ezra rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“So… that’s why Governor Pryce was so suspicious of Grand Admiral Thrawn, but what does it have to do with Agent Kallus?”

“Oh, he’s the Rebel Spy Fulcrum,” Ezra shrugged. He’s gotten used to that fact that he barely paid attention to it.

“Another Rebel Spy, Huh?” Zare raises an eyebrow at the agent. “That feels unbelievable, especially at the fact that I helped you steal a data disk behind his back the last time we met,”

“Wait, what?!” Kallus stared at the two in shock.

“Yeah, good times,” Ezra snickered then be turned to his father, whom he knew was patiently waiting for an explanation and a proper introduction. “Dad, this is Zare, Zare Leonis. He went to the academy to actually find his sister Dhara, so it was easy to recruit him when he caught me trying to steal the data disk,”

“Another Rebel Spy, then?” Thrawn questioned.

“Something like that, Grand Admiral, Sir,” Zare nodded then he turned back to the blunette. “Ezra, you might want to be careful. Someone at the academy that REALLY hates you is right outside the office door,”

“Who? Oleg?” Ezra frowned. “I thought he was killed at the Lothal Post Office…”

“Wait, you knew what happened to him at the post office?” Zare gave a look of bewilderment. “Troopers found him tied to a tree without a uniform or a helmet, and with blood and wounds all over…”

“I tied him up. My comrade Zeb did the beating,” Ezra cackled.

“Meh, maybe he really should have died. He’s a pain,” Zare hissed. “At least I’ve ranked up to be a few points superior than him, or he’d be the one in my place,”

“That’s luck, alright,” Ezra beamed.

“Not that much luck because Governor Pryce is still on to Agent Kallus and Grand Admiral Thrawn,” Zare shuddered. “And I need to make up a fake report since she’s expecting me to have news by the end of the day,”

“Not to mention, Grand Moff Tarkin seemed to be hearing out her suspicions,” Kallus added with a flinch.

“Yeah… you three really need a plan to escape if you’re going to survive, Ezra,” Zare gulped.

“Well, if you put it that way…” Ezra bit his bottom and turned to his father. “Do we have any plan, Dad?”

“I am formulating Plan A at the moment, but just in case, we would need to formulate a Plan B, as much as a Plan C and a Plan D,” Thrawn replied, turning away with a hand on his chin as his mind went into the air.

“I can distract Governor Pryce, but I don’t know for how long,” Zare spike up.

“It might be risky, Zare,” Ezra’s eyebrows furrowed. “What if she gets suspicious of you too?”

“I’m surprised she isn’t already, judging by how many times I was caught looking through data disks to find my sister,” Zare gave a shrug.

“Still… we need an escape plan for you too, just in case,” Ezra insisted.

“I agree,” Thrawn nodded before turning back to them. “It is quite difficult the next actions of that vile woman. It is better to be safe than sorry,”

“But… I still need to find my sister,” Zare frowned.

“We will get more information about Dhara Leonis before we leave,” Kallus reassured him. “Lothal’s security is getting too tight for any of us to escape separately,”

“I… I guess,” Zare sighed in defeat, though he was internally grateful that he wasn’t the only one undercover.

“That settles it then,” Ezra smiled.

“Not quite,” Thrawn shook his head. “The plan for escape is as risky as staying for too long. We need right timing. I will have to discuss the matters will Captain Syndulla and Commander Tano,”

“And I will help you prepare the report you need for Pryce, Leonis,” Kallus placed a hand on Zare’s shoulder. “I myself need a report,”

“Right,” Zare nearly forgotten about the report, and now that he remembered it, his panic spiked up.

“Good luck, Zare,” Ezra gave the older boy a grin.

“Yeah, I need luck,” Zare nervously chuckled as he picked up his helmet and placed it on before grabbing his blaster then he and Kallus turned to leave.

Thrawn watched the two exit then as soon as the door slid shut, he went over to the Kallus’s device for Fulcrum transmissions and turned it on. Ezra, on the other hand, picked up his father’s data-pad to call his mother to update him about the situation.

X

“Has Agent Kallus’s shuttle returned yet?” Pryce questioned one of the stormtroopers at the hanger.

“Not yet, Ma’m,” the trooper shook his head.

“Has there been any word from the shuttle or from the Chimera?”

“No, Ma’m. Should I contact their shuttle?”

“No.” Pryce snapped, cursing under her breath. “Wait for them here, and contact me when they arrive.”

“Yes, Ma’m,” the trooper bowed in reply as Pryce turned tail and left the hanger.

She entered the halls and went up the lift, internally brooding.

Honestly, she had expected word from the trooper she had assigned. Aresko and Grint had spoken highly of Leonis before their execution. Apparently, he had fended the academy off of the Rebel Insurgents after the betrayal of two of his fellow cadets, who had run off with the Lothal Rebel Cells. Even the Inquisitor had interrogated Leonis about his traitorous comrades. As a trusted cadet of the academy, Pryce had expected the boy to comply with her demands.

But then again, she had given him until the end of day, and it was still in the middle of the afternoon. Her impatience was irritating her.

She soon reached her floor and had exited the lift. She went straight to her office and locked the door to give herself privacy then she turned to her window and rubbed her nose ridge.

That… treacherous grand admiral and that…annoying ISB agent was going to be the end of her, or at least be the cause of anxiety and paranoia until she had found proof of their unfaithfulness to the Empire and expose them to Tarkin and their Emperor. She needed a way to outsmart them (Thrawn, more specifically), and she needed to do it quick.

Suddenly, there was a blinking light on her desk, and she looked over in horror to see 

Tarkin calling her. She swallowed the fear and answered it, the holographic image of her superior appearing before her.

“Governor Pryce,” Tarkin looked at her from head to toe, seeing the stress and irritation in her eyes. “I take it that the investigation is not going as planned?”

“Not entirely,” Pryce sighed. “I sent Agent Kallus to the Chimera to investigate. I sent three troopers to keep an eye on him, but up to now, I have gotten no word of the shuttle or any of the troopers,”

“Patience, Governor Pryce.” Tarkin sternly told her. “I myself am not a man of patience, but if you would like the investigation to proceed with no trouble then you must have patience. If your suspicions are correct then Grand Admiral Thrawn would be playing games with you. Games that you must learn to outsmart,”

“Of course, Grand Moff Tarkin,” Pryce had to admit, the elder had a point.

Thrawn was always 10 steps ahead of her, so she needed to be better, smarter, and more tactical. Before he escaped because of his intelligence.

X

“Captain Syndulla, Grand Admiral Thrawn is requesting your presence,”

“I’ll be there shortly, Ahsoka,” Hera spoke through the comm.

“No, no. Rex and I will be at the Ghost shortly. Better for the discussion to be opened to the rest of your crew, as well,”

Hera sighed with a nod. “Alright. We’ll see you soon,”

The comm went off, and the Twi’lek laid back on her seat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to ease her mind.

Three weeks. Ezra had been with Thrawn for THREE WEEKS. Hera knew she shouldn’t worry. Thrawn was his father, after all. She knew that the Chiss wouldn’t imagine hurting Ezra, but… it wasn’t the grand admiral that stressed her mind up, and it wasn’t Kallus either. The agent had proven himself to be trustworthy. Both of him and Thrawn have, so they aren’t the source of her worries.

It was Pryce.

Thrawn had distracted the vile woman, and Kallus was helping, but Hera knew that Pryce wasn’t going to give up that easily. The governor was smarter than she looked (not as smart and wise as Thrawn, but still). She was also quite determined and quite trusted by Tarkin, so Hera knew that it wasn’t going to be long until Ezra gets discovered in the Chimera.

“I hope Thrawn’s calling, so Ezra could escape…” she muttered under her breath before standing up to leave the cockpit.

She reached the common room and sat down on the chair then she took out her comm.

“Zeb, Sabine, meet me in the common room. Ahsoka and Rex are about to come with a transmission from Kallus,”

“On our way, Hera,” Zeb’s voice echoed through the comm.

“What about Kanan?” Sabine questioned.

“I’ll fill him in later.” Hera scowled. “I swore it last time that if he and Rex were to argue again, I’d make them get along, and I’ve got a pair of Force-inhibitor cuffs right now that I’m not afraid to use,”

“Are you talking about them bickering last week when Thrawn was trying to tell us something about his husband not knowing that Ezra’s alive?” Sabine wondered.

“Heh, that was fun,” Zeb chuckled. “Has to smack their heads just for them to shut their mouths up,”

“Not so fun if YOU were interrupted by their blabbering mouths,” Hera shook her head.

“Kanan’s in his room, last time I checked,” Sabine pointed out.

“Keep him in there. Once Rex gets here, I’ll drag him Kanan’s room, and their punishment will begin,”

“How long do you plan to keep them in there?” Zeb asked.

“For about… the whole day,“ Hera shrugged.

“THE WHOLE DAY?!” Both Zeb and Sabine were taken back. They knew that the Twi’lek was a disciplinarian, but they didn’t think she’d go THAT far.

“Yes, the whole day,” Hera grinned at their reaction. “For now, lets just wait for Ahsoka and Rex. Common room, NOW.”

An interesting discussion this was going to be.

X

“Governor Pryce, Agent Kallus’s shuttle is approaching,”

“Understood, Trooper,” Pryce nodded before she shut off her comm then she headed out of her office and into the lift.

She went down to the lower hanger and saw the shuttle as it lowered down on the surface to land. She stood in front of it as it successfully made a landing. The ramp opened, and Kallus came out with the three troopers behind him.

“Agent Kallus,” Pryce gave him a stern yet acknowledging look.

“Governor Pryce,” Kallus returned the look, but it was a little more reserved than the woman’s.

“Anything interesting found at the Chimera?”

“No, everything was in order,”

Of course, Pryce expected that. She had to bite down a scowl as she held her head high.

“I see. That is all I need to know. You are dismissed, Agent Kallus,”

Kallus nodded and took his leave, passing the woman without sparing her a glance as he headed to the building.

Zare watched him leave, and panic rose up to his throat the moment he saw Pryce walking towards him. He took a deep breath and kept his posture, his grip on his blaster tightening.

“Leonis, follow me to my office for the report.” she commanded then she turned to leave.

“Of course, Ma’m,” Zare nodded before following after her.

Oleg angrily watched as the ‘superior’ Trooper left. He scowled and glared daggers at his back.

From the moment Leonis had stepped out of the office with Agent Kallus, Oleg knew something was amiss. The agent seemed to be helping him with the report he needed, which was something that set off a red flag. Oleg knew that their mission was to keep an eye on the agent. Why was he helping Leonis then?

Something was afoot, and Oleg was going to get to the bottom of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I am honestly out of off-script ideas, like Rex and Kanan being locked in Kanan’s room later on (For some reason, there’s a part of me that’s telling me to ship them…). Welp, see ya next chap!


	17. The Great Breakout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Time Has come to Escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N And I have returned from the depths of slight writer’s block! Lol, yes. Hope this chapter’s worth the wait! XD I’m so excited!

It was the day after the investigation, and Pryce was going to FREAK OUT and SCREAM.

Zare presented his report late in the morning, and it left her raging, but of course, she needed to keep her professional composure, so she kept a straight face on and calmly dismissed him. Once he was gone, however, she grabbed the data-pad where the report was typed down and threw it to the wall. She gripped her hair and began to screech.

“AAAAAAAAAAUUUGGGGHHH!”

She gripped one of the chairs in front of her desk and tossed it over at the wall then she grabbed the other chair and kicked it to the other wall. She hissed in irritation and roared out in fury, sending everything on her desk down on the floor before she went on her knees, her body quivering with agitation.

She was certain that her suspicions were true. She was sure that Thrawn was up to something and that Kallus was involved with it, but the junior trooper had gotten her no proof of their treachery, and now, she was starting to have doubts herself.

As soon as her rant came to end, she took a deep breath to calm herself and pressed her forehead against the table, releasing a shaky breath.

“Calm yourself, Arihnda,“ she whispered to herself. “Pull yourself together. It’s not over yet. There’s a reason why you sent THREE troopers with Kallus to investigate. Maybe… the other two have more information…”

She gripped hold of the table and pushed herself back up on her feet. She grabbed her comm and placed it back on her desk then she quickly called for the two other junior troopers to her office.

A few minutes later, they arrived and stood before her, not bothering to acknowledge the mess. She stood straight in front of them, her expression stern as she eyed them both.

“Junior troopers, what post did Agent Kallus leave you in on the investigation yesterday?” She questioned them.

“I was told to wait in the shuttle, Ma’m.” The ‘Rookie’ trooper answered.

“And I was told to stay outside of the office, where the guard trooper is,” Oleg then spoke. “Only Leonis entered with Agent Kallus,”

“So he did…” Pryce cursed under her breath before biting her lip and straightening her posture. “I see. That is all I need. You are dismissed now.”

“Yes, Ma’m.” With that, the two turned to leave the office.

As soon as he was outside, Oleg came to a stop and let the other trooper leave him alone. He turned back towards the office and reentered it to see the governor facing the window.

“Governor Pryce, Ma’m,”

“Haven’t I dismissed you?” Pryce turned to face him with an irritated facial expression.

“You did, but I myself have something to report,” Oleg took a step forward. “It’s about Agent Kallus and Leonis,”

Pryce’s expression twisted into confusion and amusement as she went to her desk and sat on her chair. “Go on, trooper. Tell me what have you learned about Agent Kallus and Leonis,”

X

“And this is the last of the information about Dhara,” Kallus gave Zare a data disk from his data-desktop. “She was last seen in Coruscant after the Emperor had called her over for a classified mission,”

“Thank you, Agent Kallus, Sir,” Zare bowed. “I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling that my report to Governor Pryce wasn’t convincing enough,”

“We just need to distract her for a few more days until Thrawn had come up with a plan for us to escape,” Kallus assured him.

“I know, but it still feels… risky,” Zare frowned. “Especially at the fact that you were helping me with the report,”

“No one saw, not even your fellow junior troopers,” Kallus pointed out.

“Oleg DID.” Zare hissed.

“But he has no proof,” Kallus opposed.

“Oleg doesn’t need proof,” Zare sighed. “He just goes with his guts, and his guts always say that he hates me, and he’ll do anything to expose me to have an excuse to kill me. He hates Ezra more than me, and if he was going to report to Pryce anything, she’d have him investigate himself,”

“And Pryce would believe anything to have me and Thrawn exposed for execution…” Kallus bit his bottom lip.

“Exactly!”

“Then we have to be careful,” Kallus then stood up from his desk. “I need you to go up to the Chimera and warn Thrawn and Ezra. We’ll have no choice, but escape. Tonight.”

“Right,” Zare nodded and kept the data disk then he placed his helmet on and turned to leave. “I’ll have to swipe a shuttle to get to the Chimera,”

“I will make up an excuse, in case Pryce comes here to ask,” Kallus ushered him out. “Now, Go. Hurry,”

“I will,” Zare walked out of the agent’s office and went through the halls.

He went straight to the lift, and it went down to the hanger. His hands trembled as he exited the lift, his nervousness rising the nearer he got to the shuttle nearest to him. He stopped for a moment to wait for the other troopers walk away, so he couldn’t get caught. Once the coast was clear, he rushed over to the shuttle. He noticed that there was no pilot and was relieved. He then closed the ramp and sat himself on the steering then he activated the engines before he flew out of the hanger as discreetly as could.

But of course, a Rebel Trooper can never be that discreet.

X

Ezra woke up late, with the Force practically screaming on his ears and vibrating hard on his brain. He groaned, grabbing his head as he sat up with an annoyed hiss. The pain was so unbearable that he wasn’t able to hear the door slide open.

“Ezra?”

“Mm?” The said boy looked up to see his father staring down at him concern. “Oh, hey Dad. Good morning,”

“Good LATE morning,” Thrawn shook his head and advanced towards him.

“Late? Oh shoot, I slept in again,” Ezra sighed as the Chiss sat beside him.

“It is alright. You have been sleeping in quite often this past week,” Thrawn took out a sack and handed it to him. “Here. Breakfast,”

“Thanks,” Ezra received the sack and opened it to take out a piece of fruit that he didn’t recognize. “…?”

“A fruit from Csilla. Eli sent it early in the morning for you,”

“Oh, really?” A smile stretched across his face before he sunk his teeth into the food. “… it cold… but yummy…”

“Good. It a delicious delicacy, truly,” Thrawn returned the smile. “As a boy, I had always been excited when my brother Thrass brought home a basket of those fruits,”

Ezra had gotten the hang on chewing the fruit when he noticed that his father’s face fell the moment he mentioned his brother Thrass. Not wanting his father to sulk again in his uncle’s disappearance from Csilla, he placed a hand on the other’s shoulder to snap him out of memory lane.

“Dad, I think there’s a reason why I’ve been sleeping in constantly,” he spoke, changing the topic to catch his father’s attention.

To his relief, Thrawn had looked down at him with furrowed eyebrows to express his concern. Ezra held his breath and proceeded to continue.

“I’ve been having this… vision,” he went on, fear and hesitation clogging up in his throat as he let the memories of what he saw return to him. “It’s scaring me and waking me up in the middle of the night. I’ve been seeing you and Kallus getting into a fight… Pryce talking to Tarkin… even Mom getting involved with fighting Pryce,” His fear peaked up when the image of his mother battling the vile Governor of Lothal came back to him, causing him to shudder. “At first, I thought it was just a nightmare, but the Force was screaming at me while I was in it, and it kept repeating itself, over and over. I could practically hear everyone screaming while they were fighting and getting killed. I could even hear Vader’s robotic voice echoing a threat to kill you if I didn’t surrender…”

Thrawn’s eyes widened while eyebrows furrowed deeper to show even more concern. He had gotten his well share of fears and nightmares that Pryce would catch on to them. The woman may not be bright, but she is persistent. Any evidence that she gets on those grubby hands of hers was like something she would most likely use to get rid of him.

When Ezra avoided eye contact and began to tremble uncontrollably, Thrawn immediately wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him close as if he’d disappear if he didn’t. The blunette felt the warm embrace and leaned his forehead on his father’s chest before tearing up to pour out his fear and worry, which then began to fade as he felt his father reach back to stroke his hair.

“Shh, It is alright,” Thrawn reassured him in a low, calm voice. “It is okay, Ezra. If the Force and your vision speak the truth then we must be prepared for a defection from Imperial Space. I will have to warn Commander Tano, Captain Syndulla and Eli about the change of plans, and that we must leave immediately,” He slightly pulled away and used his thumb to wipe his son’s tears as he stared at the boy’s misty eyes. “I know that you just woke up, but I need you to get your things ready, and I want you to stay hidden in your room until your Rebel Crew can retrieve you,”

“But… But what about you…?” Ezra sniffled his tears. “And Kallus? And Zare? How are you three going to get out?!”

“Calm yourself, my child,” Thrawn rubbed his back comfortingly. “I have a plan for all of us to leave, but you will have to trust me and calm down. Do you understand?”

“I… I do trust you, Dad,” Ezra nodded slowly. “And I do understand, but… it’s Pryce I don’t trust…”

“I don’t trust her either, and that is why we must leave immediately,” Thrawn stood up and turned to the door. “For now, I will need to contact your Rebel friends and Eli for the change of plans. Stay here,”

Ezra gave another nod and a small smile as he watched his father take his leave before he himself got on his feet to get his stuff ready.

X

“I would never have imagined that Leonis would be a traitor…” Pryce snarled under her breath.

“He, Kell and Morgan have been close at the Academy, so I’m not that surprised.” Oleg gritted his teeth in anger.

“Governor Pryce, Ma’m!” Suddenly, the door slid open, and in came one of the piloting troopers.

“What is it, trooper?” Pryce questioned.

“Junior Trooper Leonis has been spotted taking a shuttle from the hanger and heading to the Chimera, Ma’m,” the pilot trooper reported.

“That‘s all the proof I need to assure their treachery!” Pryce got on her feet with a smirk. “Troopers, gather a squadron and meet me in Agent Kallus’s Office,”

“Yes, Governor Pryce,” Oleg and the pilot trooper saluted before leaving to do their orders.

Once they left, Pryce opened one of her desk drawers and grabbed a pair of restraints. She then exited her office and speed-walked to Kallus’s Office. She soon found herself in front of the agent’s office door. She took a deep breath and entered, the door sliding open to reveal Kallus on his desk and consulting a data-pad.

“Agent Kallus,”

“Governor Pryce,” Kallus diverted his eyes from the pad to see the governor step in. “A surprise to see you,”

“Not too surprising, unfortunately, for you,” Pryce growled before she took out her blaster and aimed it at the blonde man, who stood up with wide, alarmed eyes. “Agent Alexandr Kallus, you are under arrest for betraying the Empire. Surrender in peace, or you and your accomplices will be executed.”

“Either way, I would be arrested and executed, so I rather not,” Kallus took out his bo-rifle and activated it.

Pryce let out a grumble then she began to shoot. Kallus dodged the shots and proceeded to fight, kicking the blaster out of the woman’s hands. Pryce hissed in pain as her hand was hit. She glared daggers at the agent and did a fighting stand then she began to attack, but Kallus dodged her and hit her straight on the abdomen.

“ARGH!” Pryce fell on her knees, clutching her stomach with a hiss before looking up to see the electricity of his bo-rifle sparking at her face. “You will not get away from this quite easily, you know,”

“I’ve had enough of you, honestly,” Kallus shook his head, but as he raised his bo-rifle to finish her off, he was suddenly attacked by two stormtroopers, who both grabbed him and pulled him down. “Ack! Get your hands off me!”

“In a million years, Agent Kallus,” Oleg took out his blaster and shot the agent, causing him to fall back and lose grip of his weapon.

The other troopers helped Pryce to her feet, and the woman rubbed her aching shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at the agent before grabbing his weapon and keeping it on her back then she neared the dazed man, grabbing her blaster from the ground to aim at him.

“Resisting would be a deadly mistake.” She spat out, gritting her teeth. “What are you and Grand Admiral Thrawn hiding up in the Chimera?”

“Not my business to tell.” Kallus finally came to and growled at the woman. “And I will NEVER reveal anything to the likes of you.”

Pryce scowled him, but she turned around and kept her blaster. She took a deep breath and snickered.

“You had revealed much already,” she gave him a victoriously evil grin.

Kallus’s eyes widened as he realized what he just said. “… oh no…”

“Oh yes!” Pryce cackled before she turned to Oleg with the restraints. “Junior trooper, grab hold of Agent Kallus and accompany me to the Chimera,”

“Yes, Governor Pryce, Ma’m,” Oleg nodded and took the restraints then he cuffed Kallus and grabbed him, forcing him to walk as they followed the raven-haired woman out of the office.

X

As soon as the shuttle landed, Zare knew that this was the last time he was going to be serving the Empire.

The moment the ramp opened, nearly a dozen stormtroopers came to his greeting/questioning. He held his breath and walked out of the shuttle.

“I have been sent here by Agent Kallus to send a message to Grand Admiral Thrawn,” he spoke with the most serious tone he could speak out.

The troopers seemed to buy it and let him through. He pushed through them and entered the halls. Once he was far enough, he let out a sigh of relief. He marched to the grand admiral’s office andhanded over Kallus’s spare cylinder pass (which the agent had given to him just in case) then he entered and wandered through the office halls. He went towards the main office door and knocked on it gently to not activate the automatic sensors.

“Who is it?” the faint and stern voice of the grand admiral came from the other side.

“Junior Trooper Leonis, Grand Admiral, Sir,” Zare replied. “A message from Fulcrum,”

There was brief moment of silence and then came the shuffling of feet. The next thing he knew, the door slid open to reveal Thrawn looking down at him with a neutral expression. Zare gulped but stood straight and tall to seem confident (internally, he was cowering in fear already XD I mean, who wouldn’t when your scary superior is standing right in front of you?).

“Grand Admiral Thrawn, Sir,” he gave a bow.

“Leonis.” Thrawn seemed to acknowledge him before turning around. “You may enter,”

“Of course, Grand Admiral, Sir,” Zare stepped forward to see the Fulcrum device active after closing and locking the door behind him.

“Thrawn, who else is there?” a woman’s voice of worry and suspicion echoed through the speakers.

“Do not be alarmed, Captain Syndulla,” Thrawn advanced towards the device. “It is Junior Trooper Zare Leonis, an ally and friend Ezra’s,”

“Leonis? I remember Ezra mention him before,” Hera let out a sigh of relief. “Well, is there any reason why he’s here?”

“I’m here to warn Ezra and Grand Admiral Thrawn about something, Captain Syndulla, Ma’m,” Zare took a step forward. “An enemy/rival of mine and Ezra’s caught Agent Kallus helping me with my report to Governor Pryce and—“

“OLEG CAUGHT YOU AND KALLUS?!”

Zare jumped at the voice before he and Thrawn turned to see Ezra enter the office with a shocked expression on his face and his backpack strapped on his back. The boy went closer to the duo, his eyebrows furrowed in worry as he glanced over at his friend.

“Oleg caught you and Kallus?!” He repeated in a more calmer voice. “How?! What happened?!”

“He caught us while Agent Kallus was helping me with the report,” Zare shuddered at the memory. “I don’t know why, but I’ve got this… gut feeling that he’s going to report it to Governor Pryce. You know Oleg would do ANYTHING to have either of us killed,”

“Oh yeah,” Ezra sighed. “That sounds like Oleg, alright,”

“We must take course of action,” Thrawn then turned to the device. “Captain Syndulla, how soon can you and your ship get here?”

“In just a few minutes. We’re flying up from Lothal,” Hera replied. “We just got a surprise visitor who seems to know you and Ezra. He knows what’s going on, and he came aboard in the Ghost to help get you two out of the Chimera,”

Ezra froze in shock, and Thrawn held his breath. They then exchanged surprised and worried glances. It couldn’t be who they thought it is, could it?

“Uh, Hera,” Ezra was too afraid to ask, but he knew that he had to. “did you happen to catch the name of this ‘surprise visitor’?”

“As I recall, he introduced himself as… Eli Vanto? Yeah, that’s it. Eli Vanto,”

“Karabast.” Ezra hissed as he cursed lowly, so his father couldn’t hear him and scold at him for swearing.

“Eli…” The hiss from Thrawn was sharp and sounded more threatening than any human hiss as he set a hand on his forehead and shook his head. “I KNEW that informing him about the situation was a terrible mistake,”

“Well, too late now,” Hera told them. “We’re already approaching the Chimera, but I think you all need to get out of there first,”

“Why? What’s wrong, Hera?” Ezra felt the Force scream in his ears in alarm and in warning as he asked.

“A shuttle was just approaching the Chimera. Don’t want to know who’s in the shuttle, but I could only guess,”

“Pryce…” Zare gritted his teeth.

Thrawn’s concern peeked up at the possibility of the vile woman catching them. He turned to his son and grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Ezra, you and Leonis must hide in the training area.” he ordered. “Once you hear a battle in this office, you two must RUN out and into hanger, find your Rebel Crew and ESCAPE. No matter the cause, I want you to escape. And please, take your mother with you. Eli’s rash actions will cause more pain than help. You all need to leave, and DO NOT ever look back,”

“B-But, Dad, what about you?!” Ezra’s eyes screamed with panic.

“Ezra, YOU and YOUR MOTHER are my main priority right now.” Thrawn simply and sternly answered before turning to the other boy. “Leonis, I command you to make sure my son is to be taken to the Rebel Freighter and to be taken to a safe place. For his safety. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Sir,” Zare nodded.

“Father, please, don’t,” Ezra tried to oppose, but to no avail as Thrawn turned away, so the blunette was facing his back. “I… I can’t lost you too…”

“Leonis, escort Ezra to the training area. Now.” Thrawn ignored his son’s please, the guilt in his throat, but he paid no attention to it either.

“Yes, Sir,” Zare sighed and gently took hold of his friend’s shoulder. “Ezra, we have to go,”

Ezra gave his father a tearful, hurt look before turning away shakily as he was escorted out.

Unbeknownst to him, Thrawn had seen his expression and couldn’t help but feel the guilt crawl back up to choke him. He knew that he was risking so much just to save his son, and he knew that he may not survive the consequences of his actions, but he knew that in the end, it would all be worth it. He knew that in the end, Eli and Ezra would make it and escape.

Even he had to pay with his life for it.

X

“Keep walking, you traitor.” Oleg forced Kallus to stride as they both followed Pryce out of the shuttle’s ramp and into the Chimera’s lower hanger.

The governor snickered at the growl sent her way from the agent. All she needed was to capture Thrawn in the act and arrest him. Tarkin was going to find this very, VERY interesting…

They went through the halls and went to the grand admiral’s office.

“Trooper, I request audience with Grand Admiral Thrawn.” Pryce told the guard trooper. “And I order you to follow me.”

“Yes, Ma’m,” the guard trooper nodded and obliged to her command.

They entered the office halls and went forward to the main office. The automatic door slid open to reveal Thrawn facing the window, his back facing them with his hands behind him. Pryce suppressed a growl as she stepped forward with the Oleg and the guard trooper right behind her, dragging a silently raging Kallus.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn.”

“Governor Pryce.” Thrawn acknowledged her, yet he didn’t turn around. “What is it you require?”

“I require your ultimate and peaceful surrender, Grand Admiral.” Pryce held out her blaster and aimed it for his head, narrowing her eyes at him. “I know that there is something in this Star Destroyer that you are hiding. It is better that you surrender in peace and reveal what you are hiding. Now.”

“And what proof do you have that I am hiding something that symbolizes treachery to the Empire?” Thrawn glanced down at her slightly, his red eyes gleaming in the dark. “The only thing I am hiding are the plans for the new Tie Fighters, and I am hiding that sort of in formation from the Rebels. My Emperor has knowledge of these plans and requests them to be carried out at my orders,”

“Oh, is that so?” Pryce snarled, knowing that he wouldn’t surrender so easily, so she had no choice but to do things the hard way. “If that is true then I assume that you don’t mind us searching your entire office for anything suspicious?”

“Do as you please, Governor.” Thrawn kept himself from flinching or wincing visibly. He couldn’t give himself away. Not now. Not yet.

“You heard him, trooper,” Pryce turned to stormtroopers behind her. “Search this office, along with the other room across the hall. When you find something suspicious, show it to me immediately,”

“Yes, Ma’m.” the guard trooper bowed and began to search the office.

Thrawn kept himself still until he realized that Pryce meant his ENTIRE office, including the training area, where Zare and Ezra were hiding. He tried not to think about it to much, but the more he did, the more his worry grew, all the way to his throat. He wanted to take out his blaster and shoot the trooper, shoot Pryce, all of his enemies now, but he knew that he couldn’t. He shouldn’t be the one to do the first move.

“Ma’m, we found something!” the guard trooper’s voice made Thrawn’s blood fun cold as he discreetly watched the trooper take out a crate from under his desk.

‘…krayt spit.’ Thrawn cursed internally, with a mental note that he should prevent Eli from ‘accidentally’ teaching Ezra swear words of his own while he watched the crate being set on his desk.

Pryce observed the crate and realized what it was. She evilly grinned and turned to face Kallus.

“Isn’t THIS the package that you delivered to Thrawn two weeks ago?” she questioned the agent. “Mind telling me what is inside, Agent Kallus?”

Kallus growled at her but said nothing, merely giving her a glare. Pryce chuckled at his silence before commanding the trooper to open the crate. The guard trooper complied to the order and took out a device. He set it beside the crate and activated it, causing the Fulcrum symbol to appear.

“The symbol of the Rebel Spy…” Pryce narrowed her eyes at the symbol then she turned to face Kallus. “YOU had this device before it was kept here, so YOU are the mole.”

“Admirable intelligence, Governor Pryce,” Thrawn silently took his blaster from belt and set it to kill. “But unfortunately, a little to slow,”

“YOU ARE A TRAITOR!” Pryce snarled at the Chiss, the grip on her own blaster tightening before she pressed the trigger.

Thrawn swiftly avoided the shot then he turned and aimed a shot at Pryce. The woman jumped out of the way to avoid being hit, causing the guard trooper to be shot down and killed. Oleg scowled and took out his blaster to try to shoot the grand admiral, but Thrawn was too quick and did a barrel roll to move out of the way to shoot. Kallus noticed the shot being aimed at the junior trooper and ducked his head to keep himself from being hit.

“ACK!” Oleg wasn’t too lucky, the shot hitting him on the chest before he fell down, dead.

Pryce looked up in horror as the junior trooper’s body fell. She stared at it before glancing up to see Thrawn aiming the blaster on her head.

“Fight and your life will be the price.” He warned with a sharp hiss.

Pryce glared up at him. “You don’t think you are going to get away with this so easily. I will get in contact with Tarkin, and you and your rebel allies will be sorry.”

“We will see about that.” Thrawn lowered his blaster and kicked her down.

Pryce fell on her stomach with a pained groan. She silently fumed as she watched Thrawn uncuff Kallus and put her in the restraints. Kallus took back his bo-rifle and sighed in relief.

“Well, today’s been quite eventful,” he commented.

“It is not over yet,” Thrawn went over the dead bodies and turned to the door, which opened automatically at his presence. “Come. We must leave,”

Kallus didn’t argue and simply followed behind as they ran out.

Pryce watched them leave and gritted her teeth while she struggled to stand with the restraints on her back. She found the inter-galactic comm on the desk and used her foot to get in contact with Tarkin.

“Governor Pryce?” the holo-image of her superior gave a look of surprise. “What are you doing in Grand Admiral Thrawn’s office? More specifically, why are you using his communication unit?”

“I had been correct the whole time, Grand Moff Tarkin.” Pryce claimed. “Agent Kallus and Grand Admiral Thrawn are traitors to the Empire! Agent Kallus is the Rebel Spy being hidden by Grand Admiral Thrawn. The grand admiral himself shot down two troopers already!”

“Hmm… I see.” Tarkin’s expression grew solemn. “I will send Lord Vader to deal with this matter. Make sure that the traitors do not escape.”

“Of course, Grand Moff Tarkin.” Pryce nodded.

X

The second he heard the blaster shot, Ezra sprinted out of the training area with Zare on his tail. They ran through the halls, shooting down any trooper that tried to attack them. They ran all the way down to the lower hanger, coming to a stop to fight an army of stormtroopers coming their way. At the corner of his eye, Ezra found the Ghost heading up to land on the hanger.

“We have to go!” he cried out to his companion as soon as the Ghost landed, and the ramp opened.

“Alright,” Zare replied with a nod.

Ezra Force-pushed the troopers out of his way then he grabbed Zare’s arm and ran to the Ghost. From the ramp, Kanan, Rex, Sabine, and Zeb ran out, with the Jedi deflecting the troopers’ blaster shots with his lightsaber while the others took out their weapons to shoot back.

“Ezra! Come on!” Kanan tossed an oddly-shaped lightsaber to his Padawan, who caught it and kept it with ease.

The moment the name was called out, a brown-haired man came from behind them, running out of the ramp and towards the two boys.

“Ezra!”

“Mom?!” Ezra’s eyes widened at the familiar person that he had only seen through the data-pad.

But Eli looked a little different from how he last saw him. Eli has been wearing his pajamas the last time he saw him (which was understandable since it WAS bedtime), but now, Eli was wearing clothes that balanced between civilian and military. He was wearing a sleeveless blue-green top that went up to half of his neck, a pair of blue-green arm bands, long brown pants and black shoes.

Appearances aside, the look on the man’s eyes was clear; he needed them to be safe.

The moment he was close, Eli had wrapped him in an embrace, an embrace that assured him that he was alright. He was SAFE.

But of course, the moment just had to be ruined.

The sound of another shuttle approaching caught their attention, and they turned to see an Imperial ship land beside the other shuttle. The ramp opened, and both Ezra and Kanan tensed to see the person come out, a red lightsaber ignited on his hand as he stepped forward.

Darth Vader…

Ezra felt the arms around him tighten, and he looked up to see Eli’s face of horror and fright at the sight of the dark Sith Lord that was once his superior.

“Vader…” the name was spoken in a mere whisper, but the Sith managed to hear him and, by surprise, recognize him.

“Commander Vanto, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s aid.” Vader took a threatening step forward towards them. “A surprise to see you helping a group of… rebels after years of your… disappearance.”

“Mom, we need to go,” Ezra whispered to the man, gently pulling on his arm with a worried expression on his face.

“Eli!”

The said man turned to see Thrawn and Kallus running towards them. Vader spotted them too and Force-pushed them away. Kallus fell with a thud while Thrawn landed with on all fours, a glare sent to the Sith before turning to see Pryce out of the restraints and leading an army of stormtroopers behind her.

“Stop those Rebel Scums!” Pryce ordered, and the troopers fired away.

Eli glared at the governor and took out his own blaster before heading into the battlefield. Thrawn was this, and his eyes widened in alarm.

“Eli!” He got up on his feet and aimed to run after him when something strong grabbed him by the neck and shoved him to the ground. “Ack!”

Ezra had been helping Kallus to get back up on his feet when he heard his father’s pained scowl. He turned, and his eyes widened in horror to see Vader force-choking Thrawn to the ground, the red saber raised to attack and kill.

“DAD!” Ezra ran to the Sith Lord and ignited his lightsaber. “Let him go!”

“Odd.” Vader spoke, his robotic-like voice echoing through the mask. “Above all of the officers in the Empire, I would never expect you, Thrawn, to betray my Master like this, much less have a Rebel child.”

“I said LET HIM GO!” Ezra’s temper was rising, and he knew it. His eyes were practically glowing red while hair swayed in the wind that the battle had caused.

Needless to say, he looked very, VERY dangerous, the Force around him turning quite dark as it pressured over his ears, yet he blocked it out and gripped tightly to his saber.

“Yes, fuel your anger.” Vader seemed pleased with the sudden turn of events and held the red lightsaber to Thrawn’s neck. “One step closer, and I will end your father’s life.”

From the ship, Kanan felt the darkness in his Padawan’s Force Signature. He was about to go and help when he heard a yell of pain. He turned and saw the clone on the ground, holding his shoulder with a hiss.

“Rex!” Kanan helped him up before turning to his comrades. “Zeb, help Kallus inside the ship! Sabine, tell Hera to start the engines!”

“What about Ezra?!” Sabine cried out as Zeb ran to pull and help the agent get in the ship. “And Eli?!”

“I sense his rage!” Kanan bit his bottom lip. “He needs to snap out of it, but I need to get Rex to the med-bay!”

“The kid’s using the Dark Side of the Force again…?” Rex sounded weak, but his worries were still strong. “You need to help him out…”

“Yeah, he is, but you need to be inside first,” Kanan sighed. “Ezra’s matured in his abilities. I… I have faith that he can snap out of it…”

X

Eli loved his son and his husband dearly, but he sometimes wished that they didn’t attract so much danger. Well, on the plus side, it gave him an excuse to fight.

Thankfully, his shooting was straighter than his gender preference as he went past the stormtroopers. He dashed past and through until he made it to his target; Pryce.

“Commander Vanto.” the woman spat out his name as if it was a curse. Eli snickered.

“Governor Pryce.” he spoke with venom as if her name was a jackpot on the streets, leftover by a couple of wild bantha. “Long time, long see, though I was really hoping that I would never see YOU again after I left,”

“I would say the same thing to you, Commander Eli Vanto.” Pryce aimed her blaster at him with a growl.

“It’s Mitth’eli’vanto now,” Eli grinned and kicked the blaster off her hands.

Pryce was too stunned at the statement to fight back as she was kicked down. She fell with a groan, glaring up at the man who was now pointing a blaster at her head.

“THAT is why you left.” she hissed. “You defied the law of the Empire against inter-species relationships AND against homosexual relationships.”

“Good guess, but that’s not why I left,” Eli shrugged. “Good guess, though. Goodnight, Pryce,”

With that, he pulled on the trigger, and Pryce was shot down. Eli sighed, shaking his head as he kept his blaster.

He isn’t the type of person to usually kill people, but he needed to do what needed to be done. To keep his family safe. To keep his husband safe. To keep their SON safe.

“LET HIM GO!” The dark aura in Ezra’s voice soon caught his attention, sending a shiver down his spine as he turned to see his son facing Vader, who was still holding a red blade to his husband’s neck.

‘Wait, WHAT?!’

“Thrawn!” Eli went into a sprint and dashed towards the battle. “Ezra!”

X

“Ezra!”

His mother’s voice cut through the dark thoughts in his mind as he turned to see the man come into a stop, his chocolate brown eyes full of worry as he froze.

“Take another step, Vanto, and HE dies.” Vader threatened the blade closer to the Chiss’s neck.

Ezra snapped back to reality and turned back to glare at the Sith Lord. But when he did, he had accidentally stared straight into the Sith’s eyes (or where he assumed they were) and felt the Force guide him into Vader’s thoughts and minds.

Suddenly, flashes of memories appeared in front of his eyes, flashing so quickly that it took Ezra back, sending him into Eli’s arms and dropping and deactivating his lightsaber.

“Woah, easy!” Eli caught the boy in a warm, right grip. “Ezra? What happened?”

Vader himself seemed unprepared by what happened and was taken back, deactivating and letting go of his lightsaber. Thrawn found this as a chance to escape and immediately got up on his feet to wrap his arms around his family protectively.

“Eli,” he gave his husband a worried, loving gaze then he looked down at his son with a smile. “Ezra,”

“Thrawn…” Eli sighed in relief, giving him a small smile.

“Dad,” Ezra felt warm in the embrace as he hugged them tighter.

The Force soon tugged on him again, and he looked over see Vader getting up with his lightsaber and activating it. Ezra was about to pull away from his parents to fight when he felt the Sith’s emotions through the Force. It was full of anger, annoyance, betrayed and… sadness and envy?

Ezra felt confused as his parents pulled away to get into a fighting stance, stepping forward to protect him.

Was Vader envying his family? Why would he do that?

‘ _A soul of a man in a suit of armor and hatred… unlocked by a boy of blue and set free by a boy of blonde… to fulfill the prophecy… his destiny… “The Chosen One”…’_

It was a message. A message from the Force that echoed in his vision. He didn’t know what it meant, yet he did know that the ‘boy of blue’ was him, and the ‘man in the suit of armor’ was (possibly) Vader, but who was the boy of blonde? And who in KRIFFING hell was ‘The Chosen One’?

His thoughts were interrupted when he was suddenly dragged. He turned to see Thrawn and Eli grabbing him by the arms and pushing him towards the Ghost. He mentally slapped himself.

First, they needed to escape THEN he needed to discuss the message with Kanan and Ahsoka.

He used the Force to grab his lightsaber from the floor and clipped it back on his belt then they all ran to the old Rebel freighter. Zeb met them on the ramp and shot the troopers to give the family of three time to enter the ship. Once they were inside, the Lasat ran inside and closed the ramp.

“Hera, we need to go! Now!” Zeb screamed through his comm.

“Copy that!” In the cockpit, Hera gripped tightly to the steering as she lifted the Ghost over the hanger and pushed down to escape.

The Ghost soon got a distance between the Chimera. Sabine and Chopper were firing on the Ties shooting at them as Hera fiddled with the hyperspace coordinates.

“Hang on, everyone!” she announced through the Ghost’s speakers. “Next stop; HYPERSPACE!”

With that, she pressed on a button, and the Ghost dashed into a clearing and into hyperspace.

X

“Sir, are you alright?” A stormtrooper questioned as Vader stood up and watched the Ghost and the rebels make their escape.

“Fine.” Vader snapped, keeping his lightsaber and turning towards the trooper. “What is the status of this Star Destroyer?”

“No rough damage, sir, but…” the trooper swallowed. “Governor Pryce is dead, and we found two corpses in Grand Admiral Thrawn’s office; one of a guard trooper and another of a junior trooper,”

Vader silently listened at the report then he straightened himself up and clipped his lightsaber to his belt.

“I see…” he went past the trooper and breathed into his mask. “Summon Captain Palleon and Admiral Konstantine. Tell them to meet me here, in the lower hanger.”

“Yes, Sir.” the stormtrooper nodded and left to do his orders.

Vader watched him leave before heading to the halls of the Chimera to contact Tarkin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Phew! Finished the chapter! XD And Yes, I killed off some characters already, placed some mild Rex/Kanan, and reunited the family! Yay’


	18. Choices And Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N WARNING: This may have a lot of drama. T^T
> 
> Also, how does a Force-Sensitive Eli sound? ^^ I know being Force-Sensitive doesn’t always goes through biology, but I wanted to try anyway XD

“Oh Force, is Rex alright?!” Hera cried out, running to the med-bay to see Kanan wrapping a bandage on an unconscious Rex.

“He’ll be fine,” Kanan tried to force give a small smile. “It’s just a blaster shot, and he was shot on a… non-risky part of the body,”

But Hera was better at reading him than he thought. She sighed and set a hand on his shoulder.

“Kanan, Rex will be fine,” she assured him. “He’s survived worse,”

“Yeah, Ahsoka told me,” Kanan let out a sigh.

“And you know that she would let you two be happy if either of you confess, despite what she feels for Rex,” Hera grinned, catching the Jedi off-guard as she patted his shoulder. “Just… think about it, Kanan,”

With that, she left the med-bay and headed down to the hanger. She entered to see Sabine checking Kallus and Zare over while Zeb stood beside them, leaning against the wall and watching something, or someone.

Hera followed his gaze and saw the family of three, all bundled up. They were all fast asleep (most likely from exhaustion), with Eli and Thrawn wrapping Ezra in a warm, protective embrace. The sight made Hera smile, but when she turned back to the Zeb, she realized that his expression was bittersweet.

“Is everything alright, Zeb?” She asked as she neared him.

“Yeah, I guess,” Zeb shrugged, replying in a whisper-like voice. “I mean, yeah, everything’s great since Ezra’s got his family back. He found the folks that were forced to give him up because of the Empire and their dumb rules, but… I don’t know why it feels all so right but all so wrong…”

“What are you trying to say, Zeb?” Sabine questioned, turning to him with a raised eyebrow.

“Sabine, Ezra’s found his FAMILY now,” Zeb winced at his own words. “If that’s his family then… what are we?”

Silence came after. Hera blinked at him in surprise, but she understood exactly what he meant.

Their Ghost Crew was a family that they formed when they had no other family to turn to. Now that Ezra had his REAL family back, Hera was certain that he wanted to go back with them, and by the way they were looking after the battle, Eli and Thrawn wanted him back in their lives too.

“Zeb…” the Twi’lek Captain set a hand on the Lasat’s shoulder. “you know that no matter what happens, we would always be Ezra’s family. Not his real one, but we’re still family,”

“Just like when I reunited with my biological family,” Sabine sent a smile to her Lasat big brother. “They ARE my family, but so are you guys. When you contacted me to tell me that Ezra got captured, I first helped Mom then I rushed here as fast as I could,”

“No matter what, THIS crew that we had formed is a FAMILY that is impossible to break,” Hera finished, smiling. “And you’re his boyfriend, Zeb. You’ll be part of his life no matter what family he chooses,”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Zeb shuddered. “even if I AM afraid on facing his father. The grand admiral was already scary on holo-screen. What else in person?”

“Frightening and unpredictable, in my experience, anyway,” Kallus chuckled, and Zare grinned in agreement.

“You’ll be fine, Zeb,” Hera snickered before her expression returned to concern. “How long have they been out?”

“How long have we been floating in hyperspace?” Sabine asked.

Hera’s eyes widened. “They were out THAT long?”

“Yeah, Ezra was knocked out first,” Zeb recalled. “He was so tired that he slumped back on the wall. I wanted to make sure he was okay, but Eli got a hold of him first and let Ezra lay on him. Thrawn joined them a while little later,”

“Alright, alright,” Hera nodded. “We’ll let them sleep a little more. Sabine, take Kallus and Leonis to the med-bay just in case they needs some bacta. Kanan’s already there, so you can get him to help you. Zeb, stay here and wait for those three to wake up. I’ll be at the cockpit to contact Ahsoka and Commander Sato,”

“Got it, Hera,” Sabine gave a nod before dragging Kallus and Zare out of the hanger.

“And when they wake up, take Eli and Thrawn to the cockpit,” Hera told the Lasat. “I want to talk to them. Take Ezra to your cabin, so he can rest more. Got it?”

“Got it,” Zeb nodded.

“Good,” Hera smiled then she turned to leave.

Zeb watched her go before his ears flickered in alert when he heard a small whimper. His head turned to see Ezra squirming in the embrace, prompting his parents to wake up.

Eli was the first of the two to stir, his grip on his son subconsciously tightening as he stared at the boy. “Mm… Ezra?”

“M-Mom…?” Ezra looked up at the other male with half-idled eyes.

“Yeah, baby, I’m here,” Eli smiled and allowed the boy to lay his head on his shoulder just as his husband awoken.

“Is everything alright?” Thrawn glanced down at them worriedly.

“We’re fine, I think,” Eli replied with a nod.

“Thank goodness,” Thrawn stood up and changed his position, so he could sit beside his husband. “Eli, we need to talk,”

“I know, I know,” Eli sighed, leaning his head back on the Chiss’s chest as he let Ezra drop back in slumber. “I’m sorry, Thrawn. I know you told me stay put, but I couldn’t let you and Ezra put yourselves in danger,”

“YOU were putting yourself in danger by running ahead to face Pryce.” Thrawn frowned.

“On the plus side, she won’t be our problem anymore,” Eli grinned.

Mischief twinkled brightly in the man’s chocolate brown eyes, catching Thrawn off-guard. “… did you… you didn’t…”

“I wanted to just stun her, honestly,” Eli merely shrugged. “I forgot that my blaster was set to ‘kill’. I realized a little too late, but on the bright side, she won’t be bother to us anymore,”

Thrawn raised an eyebrow at this. Eli had been one of the nicest people working for the Empire. Killing was never one of his ways to get rid of an opponent or escape from one. Having an equally-reckless son and a husband endangered of getting executed must have been getting to him…

“M-Mom…? D-Dad…?”

The two turned to see Ezra staring up at them with tired eyes. Thrawn stood up and went back beside their son, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright, Ezra?” He asked gently.

“A little tired, honestly,” Ezra admitted with a yawn. “I think I was close to using the Dark Side of the Force again…”

“I almost forgot that you were Force-Sensitive,” Eli chuckled and ruffled the boy’s already-messy hair. “Is it difficult to deal with the Force when it’s so strong in you?”

“Not really,” Ezra smiled up at him. “I just need to control my emotions and focus on what I’m doing,”

“I see…” Eli nodded in understanding before pulling him into another embrace. “I always knew you were special, my baby boy. Didn’t expect Force-Sensitivity, though, but you’re special nonetheless,”

Ezra felt his heart warm up at the gesture as he hesitantly hugged back. Tears were threatening to spill and roll down his cheeks, prompting him to break down as he began to choke on his own urge to cry.

Thrawn noticed this and sighed. He had learned that their son was a little too prideful, just like him. Breaking down in front of Eli was something the boy didn’t want to do, especially since the teen had broken down in front of him three times already (and made him break ONCE. Not even Eli knew that, and Thrawn wasn’t going to ruin his pride and prideful reputation any time sooner).

Ezra was trying his hardest to hug the mother he had always wanted without tearing when he felt another pair of arms wrap around him. He turned and saw Thrawn embracing him just as warmly, feeling the warm love and protectiveness radiate off both of his parents through the Force. He couldn’t hold the urge in any longer and began to cry, gritting his teeth as he pulled his legs together to hug his knees.

Eli and Thrawn both pulled away to see their son breaking down. Eli went into severe mother/panic mode.

“Ezra?!” He snatched the boy from his self-embrace and wrapped his hands around him. “Ezra, what’s wrong?!”

“I…” Ezra sniffled his cries, trying to wipe off his tears. “I-It’s just that… I… I’ve been wanting to find you guys for so long that I… I don’t… I-I’m s-sorry if I…”

The rest of his words were drowned with tears. Eli and Thrawn exchanged looks before Thrawn reached over and stroked the boy’s hair.

“Shh, it is alright, Ezra,” he spoke in a gentle.

“If you’re apologizing for all the danger then you don’t need to,” Eli reassured the boy. “It’s all over now,”

“I…” Ezra’s voice shook along with his trembling body. “…I never want to lose you guys again…”

“And you will not,” Thrawn joined the embrace, an arm around Ezra and another around Eli. “We promise.”

“We will always be here for you, Ezra.” Eli finished with a smile, kissing his son’s forehead. “No matter what,”

“I… I love you, guys,” Ezra tearfully smiled.

“We love you too, Ezra,” Thrawn and Eli tightened their hold on their boy as if he would fade away like a dream.

But it wasn’t. It was real, very, VERY real, and they wouldn’t change it any other way.

Zeb watched as the scene unfolded, a smile stretching on his face. He had never seen the kid feeling so happy and so safe at the same time. It made the Lasat himself feel happy for him, even if there was a possibility that Ezra might leave with them…

Soon, the family of three pulled away from their embrace. Ezra was able to wipe the last of his tears. He then turned to see Zeb, and his eyes lit up at the sight of him.

“Zebby!” In a flash, he dashed towards the Lasat and threw himself in his huge, furry arms. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, Ez,” Zeb smiled and pulled the other into a kiss.

Thrawn felt his eye subconsciously twitch at the scene. Eli had to hold in a giggle as he set a hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“You’re acting like my father, Thrawn~” he teased.

“I. Am. Not.” Thrawn hissed, his bloody red eyes glaring daggers at the Lasat.

“Yeah, sure you aren’t, Grand Admiral Prideful,” Eli rolled his eyes as he took a step forward. “Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to meet our possibly-future son-in-law,”

Thrawn cursed under his breath and crossed his arms, but he followed his husband anyway as they approached their son and their son’s boyfriend.

Zeb pulled away just in time to see the parents of his lover advanced towards them. He swallowed and set Ezra down on the floor before straightening himself and clearing his throat.

“Um… h-hello,” he greeted with a nervous grin.

“Hi there,” Eli gave a friendly smile. “Zeb, is it?”

“Y-Yes, Sir,” Zeb nodded tensely.

“Eli, Zeb,” Eli snickered. “You can call me Eli. Don’t need to be so nervous around me. I can already see that you care for Ezra deeply,” He then pointed to his husband with a teasing grin. “It’s Mr. Tactical and Prideful over here you need to worry about,”

“Eli…” Thrawn sent the man a slight glare.

“R-Right,” Zeb slowly repeated a nod, placing a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. “Uh, Hera’s actually waiting to talk to both of you. She’s just in the cockpit,”

“Oh, how nice,” Eli sighed and wrapped an arm around the Chiss’s arm. “Come on, Thrawn. We shouldn’t keep Captain Syndulla waiting,”

“…what about Ezra?” Thrawn questioned sternly.

“Hera’s told me to take him to our cabin, so he could rest more,” Zeb replied, trying not to wince at the tone of the grand admiral. “Can’t argue with the captain,”

“I’ll be fine, Dad,” Ezra let out an innocent smile, but he exchanged sneaky glances with his mother, causing Thrawn to narrow his eyes at them with slight irritation.

“Come on, Thrawn,” Eli pulled on his husband with a chuckle and dragged him out of the hanger.

As soon as they were gone, Zeb let out a sigh of relief. Ezra snickered at this.

“Looks like Mom likes you,” He teased cheekily.

“That’s good,” Zeb shuddered. “Man, I wish your father felt the same way,”

“I’m sure he will pretty soon,” Ezra wrapped an arm around the Lasat’s arm, snuggling the light fur. “For now, let’s head to our cabin. I missed you…”

“I missed you too, kid,” Zeb kissed his forehead as he dragged him out of the hanger.

X

“It is not that I do not trust him, but—“

“You really DON’T trust him, Thrawn,” Eli shook his head in frustration. “Admit it,”

“Eli…” Thrawn sighed. “I DO trust him. Garazeb has proven himself quite trustworthy by staying loyal to Ezra even if they were apart, but I am just… worried…”

“Worried about what?” Eli raised an eyebrow at him as they stopped at the door leading to the cockpit.

“Worried about Ezra and his… brash decisions, a trait that he shouldn’t have inherited from you,”

Eli glared at his husband. “Thrawn, I’m not THAT brash when it comes to deciding stuff.”

“My apologies, love, but you know what I mean,” Thrawn frowned.

“Thrawn, I know you’re worried that he might choose Zeb and this family-like crew over us,” Eli swallowed and placed a reassuring hand on the shoulder of his spouse. “Honestly, Thrawn, I’m worried about that too. Ezra’s known these guys more than he knows us. Also, I’m afraid that he won’t accept us that easily since we were technically Imperials, and he was naturally a Rebel,”

“I do hope that we may bring Ezra back home to Csilla with us,” Thrawn released another sigh. “Even if it is only temporary. I would like you to get to know him, and for him to get to know a life without war,”

“How long has he been entangled with the Rebellion?” Eli questioned.

“Not long, but Mira Wren and her husband Ephraim Bridger had been involved in it all throughout his childhood.” Thrawn hissed at the names he despised. “He has been forced into the streets by age 7, Eli, and—“

“HE’S BEEN AN ORPHAN SINCE 7?!” Eli’s face twisted in horror.

“Yes,” Thrawn nodded. “Captain Syndulla and Jarrus had taken him in when he was at age 14 turning 15, which was merely a year ago. He is about to turn 16 in two weeks,”

“Empire Day…” Eli shuddered. “I’m sure he feels awful being born on the day the Empire has risen,”

“It’s not that awful for him,” the two jumped and turned to see Hera at the door with a small smile. “After all, without Empire Day, he wouldn’t have found clues to his real parents,”

“Captain Syndulla!” Eli gave a bow of respect. “You called for us?”

“Yes, I did. Come in,” Hera smiled and turned around, letting the two follow her into the cockpit.

She sat on her usual seat (the pilot’s seat) and motioned the couple to seat. Eli took the seat behind her while Thrawn sat on the one behind the co-pilot.

“I’m glad you both are alright,” Hera began. “The battle got a little rough out there in such little time. Thrawn,” she shifted her position to face the Chiss. “can you tell me what happened and how did you get discovered?”

“A simple mistake, truly,” Thrawn recalled with a solemn expression. “Leonis And Kallus we’re caught working on Leonis’s false report to Pryce by a junior trooper with the name Oleg. Oleg had reported them to Pryce, and Pryce found it as enough proof to arrest Kallus. Leonis rushed to the Chimera to warn us, and he and Ezra were able to hide before Pryce came to interrogate me with the guard trooper and with Oleg holding Kallus in restraints. The guard trooper found Kallus’s Fulcrum device, and Pryce had suspected my treachery. I aimed to kill her but only succeeded on killing both Oleg and the guard. We had restraint Pryce and ran to escape,”

“That’s when Vader came,” Hera crossed her arms with furrowed eyebrows.

“Yes.” Thrawn visibly flinched at the memory. “I had told Ezra to run to your ship for his safety, but apparently, when Vader had gotten his hold of me, Ezra forgot my words as much as Eli had,”

“It’s because YOU are such a beacon for danger,” Eli scowled.

Hera grinned as Thrawn winced at his husband’s words and stuttered to find the right words to contradict. It was nice to see an inter-species couple to fight like this; fighting brings them closer, after all.

“We are all beacons of danger now,” she spoke to catch their attention. “We need to get you two out of the Empire’s reach,”

“Csilla would do,” Thrawn suggested. “Even Emperor Palpatine does not have knowledge of where my home-planet could be,”

“That’s true,” Eli nodded in agreement to his spouse’s words. “I live in Wild Space, and Thrawn lives in the Unknown Regions. Navigation will be difficult for the Empire,”

“That could work,” Hera seemed to consider it with a nod. “You two are going to be two of the Emperor’s MOST WANTED. It will be better if you both get out of Imperial Space, temporarily or permanently, depends on you. But just in case the Emperor gets a hold of your exact location, I need a way to contact you,”

“I’ll give you my pad number,” Eli offered, taking out his data-pad.

“So will I,” Thrawn also took out his data-pad. “Either of our pad numbers will be useful in case one of us is captured,”

“Good note,” Hera grabbed her pad with a smile. “Maybe I should also get Ezra’s pad number. I want to keep him updated, and I want him to update us with whatever’s happening to him in Csilla,”

Both Eli and Thrawn froze at her words, their eyes widening in surprise. They looked up at her with confusion and could see the sincerity in her eyes. Hera gave them a calm, warm smile, and when she noticed their bewildered expressions, she set her pad down for a while.

“Look, you have no idea how long Ezra had wanted his parents… his REAL parents,” she sighed. “Every night, he would embrace the dolls you gave him like he could feel both of you in his arms, and I would assume that he does feel you when he hugs them… or at least feel your Force Signature. I can tell through his actions that he truly wants you both in his life, more so than now,”

A moment of silence dawned upon the two. They had always wanted to have their baby boy with them, safe in their arms and safe in their home. Away from the war, away from the Empire. Away from everything that had caused him pain and sorrow.

“But… what about you and your crew?” Eli finally found his voice, though it was a little shaky. “Ezra sees you as family too,”

“Yes, he does, but he still wants you two as parents,” Hera chuckled. “And I’m sure you two want him back in your life,”

Eli’s eyes widened before they started to become teary. “I… I haven’t held my baby in such a long time…”

“But it is still Ezra’s decision,” Thrawn spoke up sternly. “We cannot make the decision for him. He may not want to return with us,”

“I’m pretty sure he would, but you’re right, Thrawn,” Hera gave a nod. “It is his decision. We’ll meet in the common room later and discuss about this. For now, we should let him and Zeb catch up,”

“That’s a good idea,” Eli snickered at how his husband’s eye twitched in irritation at the mention of their son with the Lasat.

Hera noticed this too and held in the urge to smirk.

Eli and Thrawn were already acting like great parents. Hera knew Ezra couldn’t wait to live with them.

X

The common room was quiet when Ezra came in with Zeb. Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Eli, and Thrawn were already there, waiting for them. Mainly him.

“Ezra,” Hera gave a smile to the blunette as Zeb sat beside her. “Welcome back to the Ghost,”

“It’s good to be back,” Ezra returned the grin. “How’s Kallus and Zare?”

“We’ll be taking Kallus to Ahsoka for further questioning, in case he learned something else that could be useful for us,” Hera replied.

“And Zare’s just resting up,” Sabine added. “Found out from files that his parents are long gone already, so we decided to let Ahsoka decide on what to do with him and his search for his sister,”

“How about Rex?” Ezra questioned, aiming for Kanan to answer.

His Master didn’t speak. In fact, he avoided eye contact and turned away, prompting Hera to speak for him.

“Rex is fine,” she assured him. “He just… needs to rest up. He got shot on the shoulder,”

“Oh.” Ezra nodded slowly. “I see…”

“But that’s not the reason why I called you over to this meeting,” Hera clarified. “Ezra, the attack and escape in the Chimera had been severely recorded by Vader and transmitted to Tarkin and the Emperor. Eli, Thrawn, Zare, and Kallus been exposed as traitors… rebels, even. Kallus and Zare can easily be hidden. We can take them to Phoenix Home and let Commander Sato and Ahsoka help them restart life as a Rebel. As for Thrawn and Eli… things are more… complicated,”

“Is it because Vader found out that I’m their son?” Ezra raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, unfortunately,” Hera sighed. “So for their safety, Thrawn suggested that he and Eli return to Csilla, which I approve, so they will be safe and away from Imperial Space,”

“…oh, I see…” Ezra tried to suppress the fact that he was upset. He had JUST gotten his parents back. He hadn’t even gotten to know his mother well yet, and they were already leaving? The thought made him feel like all his efforts to find them were all for nothing.

Kanan sensed his Padawan’s emotions and couldn’t help but chuckle, finally looking up at the boy. “Don’t worry, Ezra. They aren’t leaving for a couple of days. There’s still time for you to say goodbye,”

“Say goodbye to US, at least,” Hera grinned.

Ezra was confused and tried to figure out what she was talking about. Suddenly, a small, hopeful smile from his mother caught his attention, and his eyes widened in realization. His jaw nearly dropped, and his eyes looked like they were going to pop.

“W-Wait… d-do you mean…”

“Yes, Ezra,” Hera nodded. “We decided to let you go with Thrawn and Eli to Csilla, for your safety and theirs,”

Ezra gasped. “R-Really?! B-But what about—“

“We all talked things through, Ezra,” Kanan reassured him. “It’s alright. We can handle things on your own. I can virtually train you to keep up with your Jedi Training, and all of us have the number to your pad, so we can all get in contact with you anytime,”

“B-But I—“

“We’ll make sure that the Empire doesn’t realize where you three are hiding,” Sabine added with a smile.

“G-Guys…”

“We’ll tabs on Vader and Tarkin to make sure neither of them try to track wheee you guys are,” Hera went on. “And we can also—“

“Captain Syndulla.” Thrawn raised a hand to silence the Twi’lek. “Please. Let Ezra speak. As I had said before, this is not our decision. It is HIS.”

Hera blinked at him before turning to see Ezra shifting his position uncomfortably and nervously. She held her breath and nodded then she motioned for the boy to speak. Ezra saw this and smiled.

“T-Thanks, Dad,” He first acknowledged his father’s intervention then he turned back to the rest of them. “I… This is big, Kanan, Hera. Really, REALLY big. I mean… I want to stay with my parents, I really do, but… I don’t want to leave you guys either. You’re also my family. I just… I just need time to think about it,”

Eli held in the urge to release his disappointment, but Ezra could feel it in their Family Bond. It made his heart sink to know that he was not living up to his mother’s expectation of his actions, but he spoke the truth, and judging by the look in Thrawn’s eyes, his father knew this and patiently respected his decision.

Hera looked surprised by his decision, so was Sabine. Zeb gave his decision as much respect as Thrawn did while Kanan simply nodded and stood up from his seat.

“You have a week, Ezra,” Kanan smiled and set a hand on his Padawan’s shoulder. “As your Master, I suggest you use meditation to help you think things through, okay?”

“Okay. I got it, thanks,” Ezra replied with a nod.

Kanan returned the gesture before exiting to head back to the med-bay. Hera and Sabine exchanged nods and stood up to head to the cockpit, with Sabine ruffling Ezra’s hair and Hera patting Ezra’s shoulder before taking their leave.

Zeb was the only one left, besides Eli and Thrawn. Ezra wanted to speak to his parents, but before he could, Eli was immediately wrapped around Thrawn’s arms. This made the boy frown, especially when he could feel sadness, guilt and disappointment suddenly rippling through their bond. It made him step back from them, in fear of making it worse.

Zeb noticed this and immediately stood up. He went towards him and mildly grabbed him by his shoulders.

“You alright?” He whispered ever-so gently to the boy’s small ears.

“I…” Ezra felt the negative emotions of his parents worsen, causing tears to prick his eyes. “I think… Z-Zeb…”

“Ez…” Zeb moved a hand to his hair, stroking it lightly. “It’s okay…”

“No… IT’S NOT!” Ezra pried himself from his boyfriend’s grasp and ran out of the common room.

“EZRA!” But the blunette didn’t listen and continued to run.

He soon made it down to the gunner and, he entered it, sliding the door shut and locked before turning to sit down. He grabbed his legs and hugged his knees, leaning his face onto his thighs as he let the tears fall. He felt his body tremble as he cried, but he didn’t let it bother him and continued to break.

‘I’m a failure… nothing but garbage… I can’t get anything right…’

The words pained so badly. It was harsh, it was cold, but it was true. To him, it IS the truth.

For years, he had LONGED for his parents’ affection and acceptance. Even with Mira and Ephraim, he couldn’t FEEL like he belonged. With the Ghost Crew, he STILL felt like something was out of place, but with Eli and Thrawn, everything felt GOOD and RIGHT. They cared for him deeply, and he felt like they will accept him no matter what.

Guess his feeling was wrong. It always was.

‘They don’t love me… Not anymore… I’m not the son they were expecting… They’ll never love me… I’m unwanted…’

He could hear muffled yells echoing from outside, calling for him to come back, but he ignored it, feeling nothing but the darkness pressuring down on him through the Force. He couldn’t feel anything else but hatred… disappointment… sadness… loss…

‘They don’t care about me… They thought I would go with them, and that’s why they pretended to care… No one loves me… No one… wants… me…’

The thoughts spun around in his brain, echoing into his ears as he felt his own breathing uneven. His breath shivered with a gulp, the tears stinging his possibly-red eyes while he rubbed his cold, trembling shoulders.

‘No one cares for me… No one accepts me… No one wants me… No one loves me…’

X

“Kanan! KANAN!”

“Zeb?” Kanan turned to see his friend run into the med-bay, fear present in his eyes. “Zeb, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Ezra! I can’t find him!” Zeb’s words were the voice of panic. “He ain’t in our cabin, and he ain’t in the hanger! Grand Admiral Thrawn (Zeb’s never going to release the honorific until he knows that he had earned the Chiss’s trust) and Eli are still in the common room, but Eli’s crying like crazy! Grand Admiral Thrawn’s trying to comfort him, but he kept blaming himself for Ezra’s earlier outburst, and I have no idea what the hell is going on anymore! Kanan, HELP ME!”

“Okay, okay, calm down,” Kanan got hold of the Lasat’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Calm down, Zeb. Can you find him through your bond?”

“What BOND?! I AIN’T FORCE-SENSITIVE, KANAN!”

“I know, I know, but even Eli and Thrawn are bonded with Ezra as a family. If Eli and Thrawn can’t find him, or at least have no idea how to find him, then Ezra’s blocking them out. As his boyfriend, he is attached to you, meaning you two are technically bonded. You don’t need the Force to find him. Just use your mind and remember where any other place he might go whenever he’s upset,”

“Okay, okay,” Zeb took a deep breath and let out a shaky one. “O-KAY. I’m… I’m a bit calmer now, but do you really think that will work?”

“It’s worth a try,” Kanan shrugged as he let the other go. “I can also try to find him through our bond, but I’m afraid that he blocked me out too,”

“But what if had blocked ME out?”

“Won’t know till you try it. If it doesn’t work then I’ll try,”

Zeb took another deep breath and slowly nodded. He shut his eyes and tried to think; if he was Ezra, where would he go to hide and ponder?

There was their cabin, but Ezra wasn’t there. There was the common room, but Ezra ran away from there, so it wasn’t an option. Hera and Sabine were at the cockpit, so definitely not there. Hanger’s vacant, so not there either. There was also the Phantom or…

“…the gunner,”

“What about it?” Kanan tilted his head, confused.

“He could be at the gunner,” Zeb opened his eyes and sighed. “Why didn’t I think about it sooner…?”

“Well, now you did,” Kanan smiled. “Go and check on him, Romeo,”

“Ha-Ha, funny,” Zeb rolled his eyes at the man before turning to leave. “Thanks,”

“Make sure he’s okay!” were the last words from the Jedi as the Lasat got into a sprint and ran to the gunner.

He went down to the bottom of the ship and stopped by the door leading to the gunner. He took a deep breath and knocked on it.

“Ez…?”

“Go away…” a weak, tearful voice came from the other side. “Please…”

“Ezra…” Zeb went to the control panel and fiddled around with it, trying to unlock the door. “Please, it’s Zeb. I… I want to make sure you’re okay…”

“M’fine…” Ezra’s voice didn’t convince the Lasat, causing him to try harder to open the door. “Leave me alone, Zeb… p-please…”

Zeb didn’t respond. Instead, he focused on picking the lock on the panel. After a while, there was a small click, and the door slid open to reveal Ezra cuddled up behind it, his back facing the Lasat as his body trembled. The sight broke Zeb’s heart, causing him to kneel down and reach out towards his boyfriend.

“Ezra…”

The next thing that happened was too fast for Zeb to grasp. Ezra had turned around, his eyes turning full-red with a hint of gold as he gritted his teeth, his hair waving in his rage.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Zeb was soon blasted to the wall and was knocked out in seconds.

X

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

BOOM!

The sound of someone hitting the wall made both Eli and Thrawn jump to their feet.

“W-What was that?!” Eli cried out.

“The commotion came from the lower part of the ship,” Thrawn grabbed his spouse’s hand then they ran out of the common room and headed down.

They were going through the halls when they froze to see Zeb knocked out on the wall and Ezra standing over him with his arm out and his hand flat. His eyes were glowing red, more so than normal, as it hinted raging gold while his sapphire blue hair was waving in the air.

Eli was in shock, frozen on where he was standing as he felt anger, frustration, rejection, and plenty of negative emotions from their son. He then turned to Thrawn, whose calm demeanor masked the worry his trembling hands were already betraying.

Their worry might have been too obvious because a minute later, Ezra turned his head to them, and his eyes widened in alarm.

“M-Mom…? D-Dad…?” Eli held his breath and shuddered the moment he heard the fear present in his son’s voice.

“E-Ezra—“

“Eli.” Thrawn tightened his grin on husband’s wrist, pulling the man back before he could do anything reckless.

Unfortunately, this gave a bad expression to Ezra, who assumed that his parents were now afraid of him, peaking his fear up to his throat. He turned to face them and had placed both his hands in front of him to distance himself.

“STAY BACK!” He roared out.

The Force reacted to his words, causing him to accidentally Force-push Eli and Thrawn away. Hera, Sabine and Kanan has arrived just in time to help the two before they could fall.

“Woah!” Sabine grabbed Eli while Hera got hold of Thrawn. “You two okay?!”

“No!” Eli shook his head. “It’s Ezra! Something’s wrong!”

“Could tell…” Kanan turned and winced when he saw Zeb out cold and when the feeling of darkness flowed through the Force Bond between him and his Padawan. “Ezra… Ezra, it’s okay—“

“NO!” Ezra took a backed a bit. “STAY BACK!”

Another Force-Push came, stronger than earlier as it sent Kanan back. Ezra froze in panic, his eyes fading it’s glow as it returned to it’s normal state.

“I… I didn’t mean to… I…”

His hands were trembling even more as his legs were starting to give way. Thrawn noticed this and quickly ran to catch the boy before he fall.

“Ezra!” Eli screamed as their son started to lose consciousness and was caught in his spouse’s arms.

Thrawn tightened his grip on him, adjusting to Ezra’s body weight as he stood up and used both arms to carry the child. He looked down at Ezra and frowned at how pale and tense the boy looked.

‘What had caused him so much pain and rage…?’ he thought as he let Eli come forward and snatch their boy from his arms.

“Sabine, Kanan, get Zeb to the med-bay,” Hera ordered in her ‘mother mode’.

“On It, Hera,” Sabine dragged Kanan to his feet. “Come on, Kanan,”

“R-Right,” Kanan stretched to ease his pain before he and the Mando grabbed Zeb and carried him to the med-bay.

Hera watched leave then she turned back to see Eli cradling Ezra in his arms while Thrawn seemed to be concerned, confused, and worried about the boy’s state. Hera sighed and took a step forward.

“Thrawn, Eli, what happened?” she asked.

“Even we have no clue,” Thrawn let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Eli had grown upset with Ezra’s decision, so I came to comfort him. Ezra had misinterpreted Eli’s actions and had run off,”

“This… This is all my fault…” Eli sniffled his tears, hugging Ezra closer.

“No, it isn’t, Eli,” Hera placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a warm smile. “It was a simple misinterpretation and an accident. He needs time, and so do you. A decision this big needs time,”

“I agree,” Thrawn nodded in agreement as he set a hand on his husband’s back. “Eli, we need to give him time, and we need to respect whatever he chooses,”

“I… o-okay…” Eli slowly stood up and nodded. “B-But… I want to carry Ezra to his bed and watch over him until he wakes up. Please?”

“Of course,” Hera allowed the man to pass then she turned to the Chiss. “Thrawn, I need to have word with you,”

“Of course, Captain Syndulla,” Thrawn let Eli take their child away then once his husband was gone, he turned to face the Twi’lek captain. “What do you wish to discuss?”

“Don’t think I’m making decisions for Ezra, but I know that he will choose to live with you and Eli,” Hera began. “I know Eli was disappointed by Ezra’s words. I too was surprised, but I truly know why he’s hesitant to reunite with you too,”

“He fears to lose you and your crew to us, and fears that we will keep him in Csilla by force because he will be forbidden to see any of you again,” Thrawn hypothesized as if it was obvious.

Hera, however, was not impressed and thought the Chiss knew better. She shook her head and sighed.

“This is one of the reasons why he needs to stay with you, at least until you get to understand him better,” she didn’t hold in the scowl. “Thrawn, Ezra cares for us, yes, but deep down, he has feelings too. He knows you and Eli wouldn’t try forbidding him from contacting us. Even if you do, he knows every strategy to escape,”

“Then what does he fear?” Thrawn’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “For the past few weeks, the only time he had reacted terribly is when he feared…”

Suddenly, his blood ran cold, the lump of discomfort that had disappeared weeks ago returning and clogging up his throat once more.

“…no… he does not… he does, does he?”

“Yes, Thrawn,” Hera frowned, but she nodded in approval. “He… He fears rejection… you and Eli’s rejection, more specifically,”

“We would never… but I suppose it explains his outburst back in the common room…” Thrawn turned to avoid eye contact. “His fear and emotions affect his grasp on the Force, correct?”

“From what Kanan had told me, yes, his emotions affect his use of the Force,” Hera gave another nod.

“He is strong, too strong,” Thrawn pointed out. “Not that I fear him and his abilities. I fear that I am no help at that department, and if there is something to happen regarding the Force, I will be clueless, as Eli would be as well,”

“His EMOTIONS, Thrawn.” Hera snarled. “You can help him control the Force by helping him with his emotions.” She then took a deep breath and let out a sigh, her tone softening. “Kanan had told me that ever since Ezra got into your care, Ezra felt lighter, better, happier than he had ever been in years. Ezra needs you and Eli, Thrawn. He needs you to help him,”

“His ability on the Force is powerful, too powerful for my liking,” Thrawn visibly winced. “His ability rivals that of Vader’s… but slightly more unpredictable due to lack of control and possibly a little more powerful. I wish to help as much as I could, and I am sure Eli wishes to do the same, but we fear that we can only do so much,”

“Don’t fear, Thrawn,” Hera gently set a hand on his shoulder. “Ezra can sense your fear as much as Eli’s. That’s what caused the Dark Side to tamper with his abilities,”

“I… krayt spit, I wish I knew more about the Force to help Ezra,” Thrawn hissed. He really needed to get that curse out of his mind before either he or Eli accidentally teaches it to their son. “I have only met and worked with one Jedi—“

“Anakin Skywalker,” Hera flinched. “I know. Ahsoka told me that you had met and worked with him in the past before he was proclaimed dead at the end of the Clone Wars,”

“…he did not die,”

“I know. Kanan and I learned that the hard way,” Hera dryly humored. “Plus Ahsoka recognized him quite easily from his first encounter with Ezra. Not the best one, I would say,”

“Does Ezra know of this knowledge?”

“No, at least I don’t think so,” Hera shook her head. “Why?”

“I wish to tell it to him myself… at the right time,” Thrawn sighed. “For now, his control over his abilities is our main concern,”

“I agree,” Hera took back her hand and nodded. “Let’s continue this discussion in the common room. I’ll comm Kanan to help us out,” She then turned around. “If you like, you can go and check on Eli and Ezra before we meet up again. I need to check on Zeb and Rex anyway,”

“Of course,” Thrawn spoke shortly and watched the Twi’lek leave before turning to leave himself.

He went through the halls and up to the Crew’s Quarters and somehow found his son’s cabin. He opened the door and found Ezra on the lower bunk, still unconscious. Eli kneeling beside him and resting his head and arms by the boy’s side, also out cold by possible exhaustion.

‘It is strange yet amusing to see them so similar yet so different…’ Thrawn chuckled to himself as he watched the only two people he cared about in the galaxy slumber in peace with a smile.

X

“He’s getting stronger,” Kanan stated as he and Hera made their way to the cockpit. “I don’t know how much I can teach him until he outmatches me and surpasses my teachings and own studies,”

“Thrawn noticed that too,” Hera spoke up with a frown. “He admitted that he worked with General Skywalker in the past, and he feared that Ezra is a little stronger than Vader’s, out of control and unpredictable, even,”

“Ezra’s ability is more powerful than Vader’s? Oh, that IS a problem,” Kanan shuddered, sitting down on the co-pilot’s seat the moment they entered the cockpit. “It would also explain why the Emperor wants him so badly,”

“To turn him into another Sith,” Hera let out a hiss as she sat on the pilot’s seat and crossed her arms.

“So that is the Emperor’s plan for Ezra,” the two turned to see Thrawn entering with a scowl on his face. “I had been instructed by Emperor Palpatine to dispose of you, Jarrus, but keep Ezra alive. I was quite confused by his orders, but now that I have seen my son’s abilities, I understand why he is to be kept alive,”

“Ezra is stronger than Vader then,” Kanan concluded. “He’s also more emotional and compassionate. He can connect with those around him quite easily just by focusing into their eyes and soul,”

“Like his connection to the Purrgils,” Hera winced at the memory. “He connected with one of them and was able to communicate with all of them to help us,”

“I fear that his abilities are too much for him to control,” Thrawn admitted as he took a seat behind the Twi’lek.

“You and Eli can help him control his emotions, which could help him control his ability with the Force,” Kanan pointed out.

“I’m sure you and your people are an expert at keeping your emotions steady, Thrawn,” Hera grinned. “I’ve seen you attempt to hold in your panic, fear and rage,”

“Indeed, I have,” Thrawn confirmed with nod. “At a young age, we were taught to not be dazed by war or let any emotions be betrayed through facial expressions or through reckless actions. Even those sensitive to the Force are taught these things,”

“So there ARE Force-Sensitive Chiss,” Kanan’s face grew solemn. “Is there any in your family?”

“None directly, but my cousin is, yet she is needed to work for the Empire as a Jedi Assassin now for her survival,” Thrawn suppressed a growl in his throat. “That is one of the reasons Eli and I had to give Ezra away. Like my cousin, Ezra is a technical hybrid, who happens to also be Force-Sensitive. A combination like that would be risky. Very, VERY risky,”

Kanan grew stiff. “Your cousin is a JEDI ASSASSIN? As in… Boleena Rash, THE Jedi Assassin of the Empire?”

“I take it that you know her?” Thrawn raised an eyebrow at the Jedi.

“We’ve met Boleena once, when she tried to kill Kanan and Ahsoka,” Hera sighed, shaking her head until a small smile stretched across her face. “Ezra knows her. In fact, your cousin and your son are actually very close. Ezra grew up with Boleena and their other friend, Zeb’s niece; Gia,”

“I suppose I would have to question Ezra about this when time comes,” Thrawn did not react, but Kanan could sense his surprise and amusement.

“At least we know that Ezra’s not alone this,” Hera then frowned. “Thrawn, I had spoken to Ahsoka about your transport to Csilla. Since Ezra stared that you had been redeemed from exile for quite some time now, we will have to return to Lothal and use the ship Eli arrived in to escape. Before we can, however, we would need a signal from Ahsoka to ensure us that the Chimera had been taken back to Coruscant for questioning and investigation, so we’ll be danger-free when we arrive back in Lothal. Is that clear?”

“Crystal clear, Captain Syndulla,” Thrawn nodded. “But before we leave, I request a word with Ezra,”

“He’s YOUR son, Thrawn,” Kanan chuckled. “You don’t need to request anything. He might have had a breakdown earlier, but he still enjoys your company. Eli’s company too,”

“Talk to him, Thrawn,” Hera encouraged with a smile. “He needs you and Eli to ensure him that he’s fine, he’s accepted, he’s loved, he’s cared for. Those are all he’s been wanting,”

“And those are all we will give him, for as long as we live,” Thrawn stood up and turned to leave. “I will make sure of it,”

X

A couple of days had passed. Ezra had awoken, but he preferred to stay in his cabin to be alone and meditate.

Zeb was feeling better and was allowed to visit him, no matter how much the boy protested because of guilt. At least it only took one day for those two sort things out, despite the incident.

Kanan visited Ezra too, just to help him with his meditation. As he did, however, he felt the blunette’s frustration and guilt over what had happened in front of Eli and Thrawn.

Eli and Thrawn both tried to visit their son, but Ezra would always be gone before they could reach him. It was obvious that he was trying to avoid him, and the reason was also obvious, but Eli tried anyway, and when their son was sleeping, he made a move, despite Thrawn’s warnings.

It was mid-afternoon. Kanan was still keeping an eye on Rex, who had woken up with a sudden fever (Side-affect of the medicine he had to take to ease the pain in his shoulder), Zeb was napping with Ezra in their cabin (separate bunks, of course), Sabine was having a chat with Zare and Kallus in her room (and showing them her art while she was it), and Hera was in the cockpit, getting in contact with both Ahsoka and Commander Sato.

Eli was looking through the holo-photos of the Ghost Crew in the common room while Thrawn sat beside him, checking on the Imperial updates about the treachery in the Chimera. Eli soon glanced over at his spouse and noticed that he was busy, so he turned off the holo-photos and slowly made his way out of the booth to make a discreet escape.

“Where you going?”

Eli stiffened. ‘Krayt spit, I need to be more discreet.’ He took a deep breath and straightened himself before turning back to see the Chiss staring up at him with a quirked eyebrow. “Thrawn…”

“Ezra needs his rest,” Thrawn spoke, not bothering to put down his pad.

“Ezra needs ME,” Eli insisted. “I’m his mother, Thrawn. I can’t just sit down and do NOTHING. He’s OUR son. How can YOU just sit down and do nothing?!”

“I am not doing nothing,” Thrawn defended. “I am giving him time, love. And so should you,”

“Thrawn, it’s been nearly a week! It’s been so long since I’ve hugged my baby!”

“Four days is not long, Eli,” Thrawn shook his head. “Do not be impatient and stubborn,”

“Do NOT use those words on me, Thrawn.” Eli snarled. “Don’t piss off the guy who just stormed your Star Destroyer and killed Pryce in a minute.”

Thrawn flinched before looking back down on his pad. If he knew his husband well then it was safer for him to just let the man do his thing. And the fact that the brunette male killed Pryce with no hesitation made him more dangerous than he had first met him.

Seeing that his spouse wasn’t making another attempt to stop him, Eli smiled and turned to leave. He went through the halls that he had grown familiar of and found himself standing in front of his son’s room. He gently placed a hand on the door and took a deep breath.

He wasn’t going to admit it, but he had sensitivity on the Force. He knew that Thrawn theorized that their son was strong in the Force because of Thrawn’s Aunt Thrina and his cousin Boleena, but it wasn’t true. His medi-chlorian count wasn’t that large (as he remembered from his father, his count was about 11 thousand or less. Higher than 8 thousand, if he remembered correctly). He was the only one in his family who had the ability of the Force, so he was a little surprised to know that his son was not only Force-Sensitive but also very, VERY powerful.

‘Ezra…’ He was no expert on the Force, no matter how sensitive he was, but he knew that as a family, they had a bond that either could flow naturally or be blocked.

He felt the boy stir at his attempt, making him sigh before opening the door.

The cabin was dark, with only Zeb’s loud snoring from the bottom bunk echoing through the walls. Ezra was on the top bunk, stirring more but still sleeping.

Eli smiled and tiptoed towards the ladder of the bunk, the door automatically sliding shut behind him. He went up the ladder and sat on the top bunk. He watched his son tense at the sudden weight on the bunk before the boy groaned and forced himself up, rubbing his eyes.

“M-Mom…?”

Eli frowned at the blunette’s hesitation and set down his mental shields.

He always had them up, and it would always work since his sensitivity wasn’t all that powerful. He never dropped them unless there was a reason to. The last time he did was before he joined the Empire. Even at his ‘retirement’ to Csilla, he kept his shields up to stay hidden and to not be tempted to use them. He was used to it so much that it felt like he was just an ordinary being.

Ezra must have felt a slight shove of the Force the moment he dropped his mental shields. The boy had suddenly frozen in surprise, but Eli internally waved it off and gave a small smile.

“Hey, Ezra, feeling better?” He asked, moving a bit closer.

“I… M-Mom…?” Ezra grasped his head, and it was obvious that he was confused by the sudden realization. “I… I think I need to lay down again…”

“You’re not dreaming or hallucinating, Ezra,” Eli chuckled as he pulled his son into an embrace. “This is real. THAT feeling is real,”

“B-But… h-how come I—“

“My ability isn’t as strong as yours, so it’s easy to mask,” Eli shrugged. “It makes me blend in almost invisible to the Vader,”

“D-Does Dad know…?”

“Ezra, there are many things your father doesn’t know,” Eli shook his head and stroked his son’s hair. “Honestly, I can’t control my abilities as much as you,”

“B-But… mine is too powerful…” Ezra began to tear.

“I know, I know,” Eli sighed. “My father, your grandfather, never wanted me to learn the Force since I was the only one in the family that had it, so I don’t know if I’m much help,”

Ezra didn’t respond and only nuzzled closer. Eli took it as a sign and left the silence as it is.

“Mom…” Of course, Ezra broke the silence a little too quickly. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine,” Eli hissed. “I’m the one who should be sorry, Ezra. I should have respected your decision…”

“I… I’m afraid, Mom,” Ezra sniffled. “A… Afraid that you… you and Dad won’t accept me… and love me…”

“Ezra, why would you think that?” Eli looked at him in disbelief.

“I… I don’t know,” Ezra sighed. “I guess… I was used to Mira and Ephraim changing my appearance and the Empire making bias laws…”

“Oh, my baby boy,” Eli pressed a kiss on his son’s forehead. “No matter what you choose, your father and I will always love you. You shouldn’t doubt us so much,”

“I… I know…” Ezra chuckled. “I… I want to go with you and Dad so badly… but…”

“…but… what?”

Ezra turned away. “…I don’t know how to be a perfect son…”

“Is that all?” Eli grinned and hugged the boy closer. “No one’s perfect, Ezra. Look at me; I’m not the perfect husband. I worry, I do reckless stuff and I keep things from my husband. Though you already know why I act reckless…”

“So your negative thoughts and emotions don’t affect your light grasp on the Force…” Ezra’s eyes lit up in realization.

“Like I always say; why overthink when you can overact?” Eli sniggered.

“But… I’m afraid that I’ll make mistakes… a LOT of mistakes…”

“We all do, Ezra,” Eli reassured him. “I know Thrawn and I did a LOT of mistakes too. One of them was… giving you up,”

Ezra fell silent after that. He knew that his mother was right. They all made mistakes, but what if he made too many? What if he couldn’t fit in right?

Eli held him so close that he could faintly hear his son’s thoughts. He shook his head and raised his mental shields again as he normally does.

He really hates hearing the negative thoughts of others he was bonded to.

“You’ll fit in fine, Ezra,” he spoke. “even if you choose to stay here. You’ll always be my baby boy,”

And for the first time in those past few days, Ezra felt warmth. Warmth with those words he had always wanted to hear.

He gripped tightly to his mother and held his breath, as if he would suddenly disappear from his grasp. Eli felt this and smiled, returning the tight yet gentle grip but saying nothing as they sat in each other’s company.

Unbeknownst to them, Thrawn was standing outside the cabin, just by the door. He couldn’t hear them clearly since they were practically whispering, and he unfortunately couldn’t sense them since he was not sensitive to the Force, but when he heard no screams or anything that would signify another mental breakdown from either of them, he let himself relax. He pried himself from the door and returned to the common room with a small smile.

He knew that the tension between them was finally broken.

X

“I… I made a choice,”

Hera, Kanan, Sabine, and Zeb exchanged looks before smiling and motioning back to Ezra to continue. Eli and Thrawn did the same, giving the boy a little boost of confidence. Ezra returned the smile and sighed in relief.

“I… I want to go and stay with Mom and Dad to Csilla,”

All was silent for a while, with Ezra feeling Eli’s happiness and excitement through their bond. He could feel Thrawn’s joy as well, but it was more reserved and hidden with the neutral expression that was usually pasted on his face. Ezra waited for a reaction from his friends and his boyfriend, holding his breath.

Finally, after a while, Hera stood up and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, smiling. “Are you sure about this decision, Ezra? We don’t want you to think that we’re forcing you or anything,”

“Yes, Hera,” Ezra nodded. “I’m sure about this. Vader and the Emperor would be after me to break me. If I stay with them, I would be safer. For everyone,”

“Wise decision, Ezra,” Kanan spoke with a smile.

“Yeah, I agree,” Sabine gave a nod of agreement. “And it would be nice for you to get to know your home-planet,”

“Temporary or Permanent?” Zeb asked, turning towards their captain to answer.

“Depends on the status of Vader,” Hera replied then she turned to Ezra. “We can contact you once things are clear, but it’s still up to you if you want to return or stay in Csilla,”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ezra chuckled before looking over at his parents. “Mom… Dad…”

Of course, Eli didn’t give him the chance to finish. He ran to his son and squeezed him tightly into a warm embrace.

“I never thought you’d choose to leave them and stay with us…” he whispered, almost to a sob.

“I want to be there with you and Dad, Mom,” Ezra answered just as quiet as the hug loosened a bit. “You both can protect me, and I can protect both of you. We’ll have each other,”

“For all time and forever more,” Thrawn joined them, wrapping his arms around them.

Ezra looked up and smiled. He felt a bit claustrophobic with his parents squishing him in a sandwich-like hug, but at the same time, it was warm, it was tender, it was love. It was home.

And this was the only place he wanted to be.

X

The week had ended quite quickly, and Ezra found himself standing between the Ghost’s ramp and his mother’s ship. Eli and Thrawn were loading his things (or at least the stuff he had in his and Zeb’s cabin, anyway). He was suppose to say goodbye to his crew, but at the moment, he was too frozen up and worried to move.

“Ezra?”

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, and he turned to see Hera, Kanan, Sabine, and Zeb looking down at him, each of them with warm smiles. He blinked at them for a second before returning the smile.

“Hey, guys,” he said. “Where’s Kallus and Zare?”

“Having a talk with Ahsoka and Rex,” Kanan replied with a shrug. “They’re fine,”

“Yes, they are, but are you?” Here asked, concerned. “You’ve been acting nervous since you left the ship,”

“I… I know that Mom and Dad both accept me and love me as I am, but…” Ezra bit his bottom lip. “…I’m going to miss you guys…”

“We’re going to miss you too, kid,” Sabine ruffled his hair playfully.

“Really miss you, Ez,” Zeb pressed a kiss on the boy’s cheek. “But I’ll always love you, no matter where you are,”

“Aww, I love you too~” Ezra giggled.

“We’ll update you in any way we can,” Hera reassured him.

“And we’ll always be in contact with you, whenever you need it,” Kanan patted his back with a grin. “Also, this doesn’t mean you’ll escape Jedi Training. We’re going to holo-train; train via holo-call,”

“D’aww…” Ezra pouted. “And I thought I could escape training…”

“Nice try, kid,” Kanan snickered.

“We’ll miss you, Ezra,” Hera pulled the boy into a hug.

The rest of them nodded and joined in, wrapping the blunette in a farewell embrace. Ezra felt squashed with love as he grinned and returned the hug.

“I’ll miss you guys too,” he sighed before they pulled away. “But I know that I’m where I’m supposed to go, right?”

“Yes, you are,” Hera pushed the boy’s bangs to the side. “You be good to them, won’t you, Ezra?”

“I’ll try,” Ezra grinned. “but knowing Mom’s recklessness, ‘good’ may have different definitions,”

“Ezra!”

They turned to see Eli waving over at them with an enthusiastic smile. Ezra himself couldn’t help but smile back just as wide before running over to them. He was met by his parents’ brief embrace then he turned back to see his crew, his other family, his friends, waving at him. He felt the tears pricking his eyes as he felt the ship rumble and hover from Lothal’s surface.

Ezra felt tightness in his chest as the ramp of his mother’s ship slowly closed. The figures of his old crew went smaller and smaller until they were too high, and the ramp completely closed. He soon felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Thrawn holding it while Eli smiled down at him.

The smile made his stomach feel warm while his heart thumped in excitement, causing him to return the expression.

He knew things were going to be okay. He was going to be fine. Fine with his family, his REAL family. In his REAL home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Well, this took longer than I expected. Imma rest from this for a while and try to proceed with my other Star Wars Rebels fanfics (I have 288 stories to write. The Zezra One-shots included.) Don’t worry, though. This has a lot more chapters to go, and there’s going to be a one-shots book on Thrawn, Eli and Ezra’s bonding time in Csilla. It’s going to be called Family Bonding ^^
> 
> Also, does anyone know any Star Wars Time Travel fanfic that does NOT involve HanLeia or LukeMira? I’d be more interested if it weren’t either of them (HanLeia And LukeMira doesn’t settle in for me. I honestly prefer Skysolo better ^^)
> 
> Comments are pretty much appreciated! :)


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